From The School Superintendent

Wolf Point School District is continually trying to find ways to solve problems and improve. We have many academic improvements that are currently in place. I will articulate some of those changes that have been enacted in future articles. However, this article will lay out some future proposed changes that will enable academic growth and lay groundwork for expansion of student services that address student needs. A plan for reorganizing is below that addresses several areas of student need. There will be public meetings at each campus that we will announce at the end of this article.

First, we are considering moving the district office back to the old district office that is currently leased to the Montana Highway Patrol. This will open up several opportunities for improvement of services at Northside School, the junior high and high school campuses. Northside School currently does not have an adequate practice room for music groups such as band or choir. Currently, the band uses a half-size classroom that is also used by the family school coordinator. There is only enough room to hold sectionals in the current room. In this proposal, the band would have room in the basement of the current district Office.

We love the partnership with HPDP. This move would actually allow HPDP better exam rooms in the same building. Currently, they use room dividers to make exam rooms. In addition, office space is in short supply at Northside. This will allow for office space for therapists who currently use spaces that are also used for other purposes. The final configuration still has to be fully developed.

In addition, there may be adequate space to have an alternative learning space within the current District Office that can be used for students with severe issues that hurt the learning atmosphere within the regular schools. This opens possibilities that can support our students in many ways.

The JH/HS campus may get access to additional therapists through our partners. If this materializes, they will need the offices to adequately provide services to our JH and HS students. The moving of the district Office enables this by moving several offices in the JH/HS to the old district office and opens up space for therapists.

The next move addresses curriculum alignment as well as wise use of current facilities. We are considering moving the sixth grade from Northside School to the junior high. Then, we would move the third grade from the Southside School to the Northside School. The first reason is that curriculum is generally organized by grades 3-5 and 6-8. This is an advantage for Southside, Northside and the junior high. This would also balance the campus enrollments more closely. Under-utilized classrooms would be used at the JH/HS. For the sixth grade, this is not only an advantage due to curriculum, it is an advantage for activities since our students already participate in the JH sports and activities. Timing and transportation currently cause some issues with limited bus drivers. The move would make coordination and communication much easier. There is an advantage financially as well. Montana HB 339 proposes to increase funding for sixth graders to the junior high level if they are in the JH. Currently, they are funded at the lower elementary ANB level. The JH is in one wing at the JH/HS. To help shield the sixth graders, they would have the pod closest to the office, which is the furthest from the high school classes.

If we move the thrd grade to Northside, the Southside campus would shrink to PK2. This makes it more of a true primary school. When the time comes to build at Southside, there would be less students displaced during construction.

While there will be obstacles, there are a lot of benefits to this reorganization. We are hosting meetings at the Southside, Northside, and JH/HS campuses on the following days at 6:30 p.m.: Southside on March 31, Northside on April 1, and the JH/HS on April 3. For your convenience, the Southside and Northside meetings are during the Parent Teacher Conferences. The JH/HS meeting will follow the JOM Meeting at 5:30 p.m. I urge you to attend the JOM meeting first, which is for parents. They contribute resources to the campuses that directly benefit our students. If you can’t make one meeting, you can come to the one of the other meetings. Come be a part of these meetings and give your input.