Greetings,Families,
Trustees met Monday, March 20th, for the regular board meeting. It was encouraging to review
the data from the Montana Office of Public Instruction’s “School Report Card.” Our district is
showing very solid academic performance in math, reading, and science. Even with our
relatively high proficiency percentage, the high growth percentages show that our students
continue to improve over their own scores year to year. Compared to the state average and
surrounding schools of a similar size, our students perform better in all academic areas. What a
wonderful accomplishment! Congratulations, students, staff, and parents, for a job well done!
Attendance was the one area in which District 29 performed lower than state and comparable
local schools. “Proficient” attendance means being in school 95% of the time, which amounts to no more than nine days absent per year. Principals stressed the importance of attendance and estimated that while some absences are due to illness, approximately half are due to other
reasons. With parental support in ensuring students are at school, we might achieve even more
remarkable academic progress for all our students. A summary chart is provided below, but
more information can be found on the Montana OPI website.
The Supaman assemblies at both schools were a highlight for all! We are grateful for his
message to our students and how it has impacted them in and outside of the classroom.
PTA is opening up its spring grant program for staff who are PTA members. They are also planning Teacher Appreciation Week activities for early May. Consider volunteering your time to help say thank you to our incredible staff!
Spring activities and sports are taking off, so the board approved the spring coaching contracts. Thank you to our coaches leading the Track, Cross Country, and Drama programs.
Trustees approved a resolution of intent to increase permissive levies. This is a standard
practice for our district and surrounding districts and is necessary to help our school budget stay sound year to year. This information will be published in the newspaper. Amounts are guided by the county and state (OPI). They are meant to offset increases in transportation costs, security and safety measures, and parking and traffic control measures at Lakeside Elementary. Because this is a permissive levy, it will not go to the voters and does not incur a large increase in taxes. You can read more about the State’s school finance regulations and law at the OPI for further explanation.
Several years ago, mental health care provided by Comprehensive School and Community
Treatment (CSCT) was cut in public schools in the valley. As noted by many parents, student
mental health has been a top priority since the Flathead began seeing an increase in youth
suicide. Principals shared that when parents of students dealing with high anxiety, depression,
and/or other mental health issues need more guidance than our school counselors can provide
for their children, most therapists in the valley are either not accepting new clients or booked out several months. There was a lengthy discussion about the possible addition of mental health services at the School-Based Health Center. Recognizing the significant concerns received in past years regarding the School Based Health Center, the board confirmed that no student would be seen without parental consent, mental health services would only be available to students, and providers would be licensed therapists. Ultimately board members approved the addition of mental health services at the clinic due to the needs of our students. We hope that having an available therapist for parents of Lakeside and Somers students to take their child to is helpful for those who would choose to take advantage of these services. If you have questions about this addition to the clinic, please contact (406) 756-3950 for more information.
Finally, the board approved surveys to be sent out to parents and staff when we return from
spring break. We remain committed to hearing from you. Though these surveys are a bit lengthy (30+ questions), we encourage you to take the time to respond. Your responses help us guide our actions as trustees, create goals, and understand what is going well and what needs improvement in the district. We are very proud to be a part of District 29, and it is our privilege to partner with you in seeing our schools and students succeed.
Have a wonderful and refreshing spring break. We will see you back in April!
Sincerely,
Jesica Swanson
Board Chairperson
jesica.swanson@somersdist29.org