High school renovation to be discussed

The Bigfork School District is in the exploratory stage of discussing a potential renovation of the high school. The district has gotten together a group of about 20 to 30 community members to participate in three visioning workshops about the project.

After all the workshops, the group will make a recommendation to the school board about renovations and potentially running a bond.

The district has contracted with CTA Architects Engineers of Kalispell for pre-bond educational master planning services.

After the visionary group makes their recommendation to the board CTA will come up with a master plan to present to the school board and community.

Jensen expects the board to make a decision about the bond in the late spring or early summer.

It’s been about 50 years since any major construction has been done on the high school Jensen said. Not only are some parts of the school deteriorating but the school doesn’t have room to hold all of the students and classes offered.

The goal, Jensen said is to get all of the high school students, back in the high school. Currently choir, computer courses and special education for the high school are all housed in the middle school and elementary building. And in the high school some classes, such as math, are actually being taught in rooms that weren intended to be closets. Art is taught in a converted shop space, and though health is taught in the nicest room in the school, the gym, students are sitting on the bleachers for class.

The foyer also isn’t big enough for all the students Jensen said, leaving students to eat lunch in the hallway and classrooms.

Jensen said the focus of the remodel is not about accommodating future growth but addressing current problems. 

“We have issues we need to address for our current population,” Jensen said.

All day workshops for the visioning group are slated for March 19, March 26 and April 16. The workshops, which will be limited to the selected group, will be followed by an open house for the public from 6 to 7:30 p.m.

“What we’re hoping for is just folks who have questions to show up and ask questions,” Jensen said.

Though the vision group has been filled, Jensen encourages anyone interested in being involved to contact him.

“If there is someone out there who is really passionate about being in that workshop, I want them to give me a call,” he said.