Schools head back to court against State

By JOE SOVA / Hungry Horse News

Enrollment numbers for the new 2008-09 school year and the court case pertaining to a school funding formula by the state legislature were focuses of discussion during the Columbia Falls School District 6 meeting of the Board of Trustees on Monday night.

Superintendent Michael Nicosia told trustees that litigation returns to First Judicial District Court in the case of Columbia Falls Elementary vs. the State of Montana on Sept. 22 for what is expected to be a five-day hearing. District Judge Jeffrey Sherlock is hearing the case on whether the State has complied with its constitutional obligations to provide an adequate school funding formula. Sherlock earlier ordered a show cause hearing on the matter. A resolution was not reached before the state of the 2008-09 school year.

Nicosia indicated that the Montana Quality Education Coalition (MQEC) has formulated a number of proposals to increase state funding of schools. One proposal asks the state for an increase of $7,250 per quality educator, improving average Montana teacher salaries up to 25th in the nation and making progress on salaries for non-teacher employees in a school district. The estimated annual fiscal impact would be about $91 million.

Another proposal asks the state to raise its contribution to special education costs to 80 percent, and to include 3-to-5-year-olds who qualify for services under IDEA and make them eligible for IDEA funds.

According to Nicosia, the amount of state funding for public education has gone up in recent years, but the percentage of public education funded by the State has gone down. For K-12, the State is spending 34 percent of its general fund budget on education for the 2009 biennium, compared to just more than 50 percent in Fiscal Year 1991.

IN CORRELATION with state funding of education is enrollment in District 6.

Total enrollment in the district for K-12 as of Sept. 8 was 2,404, which is down 52 from the state date last year. Of that loss, 44 came in the junior high. The number of sixth graders jumped from 161 to 226, but there are 127 fewer seventh graders and eight grade is down by six for this year. Numbers are up by 26 in K-6.

At Ruder Elementary, enrollment in K-5 is 452 — down by 17 due to the large number of students sent to sixth grade. Glacier Gateway Elementary enrollment is 446, down just three; there are 118 kindergartners compared to 100 a year ago. Numbers at Canyon Elementary are down significantly, from 120 in early September last year to 99 this week.

Losses in enrollment cost the district about $10,000 per student in state funding, according to Nicosia.

The superintendent said there is an "unexpected drop" in enrollment at Columbia Falls High School. The number went from 872 last September to 828 this week, a loss of 44 students. Nicosia said lower numbers in the junior high are affecting high school enrollment.

District 6 Maintenance Director Larry Roesner reported to trustees on summer projects, which included roof repair on the A wing of the high school and replacement of carpet in a number of classrooms in the high school and elementary schools. A water leak outside Glacier Gateway was repaired and part of the parking area was resurfaced. Some new playground equipment was installed at Glacier Gateway, thanks to the ongoing fundraising project.

Roesner said three sections were pulled out of the newer boiler at Glacier Gateway and the system is working adequately.

"We had more burner than we needed," Roesner said.

However, the district will bid a new boiler to replace the older boiler. Deferred maintenance money will pay for the project.

Cliff Mower, a representative of Schwan's — the home-delivery food company — addressed the board Monday night with a proposal for a school fundraiser. Mower said the school district would receive 20 percent of Schwan's sales during one or more events. After discussion, board chair Jill Rocksund suggested that the fundraiser be held during parent/teacher conferences in early November. The district will work with Schwan's on a date for the fundraiser.

Principals in the district introduced their new teachers and other staff additions during the board meeting. There are two new teachers at Ruder, three at Glacier Gateway, one at Canyon, six at the junior high, and five at the high school, plus a new guidance counselor. (New teachers will be featured later in the Hungry Horse News.)