By CALEB M. SOPTELEAN

Bigfork Eagle

For the first time, Swan River School is offering summer school.

The board of trustees made the decision to initiate the program last week.

Sherry Bradstreet will teach the four-week course, which started Monday. Classes will run from 9 a.m. to noon. The course will be split into two two-week sessions with the final two weeks in mid-to-late July.

Several teachers in attendance at a school board meeting last week expressed a desire to have a name for the summer school program. Administration will be working on that in the future months.

In other news, the board approved a one-percent salary increase for all staff, certified and classified and the administration. Principal Marc Bunker completed his first year and will be earning $60,600 beginning in the fall.

The Swan River Elementary School Board also approved a new school calendar. The first day of school will be Aug. 28 with the last day June 4, 2014.

Bunker said he would prefer to give consideration to Bigfork School District, but their calendar had not been approved yet. “Most of the feedback I received was in favor of the pre-Labor Day calendar,” he said. The district has some positions to fill for next year, including a music/band teacher, custodian and either a secretary or assistant cook.