Alberton School has a new superintendent this year after Clay Acker retired last spring. Steve Picard is returning to the area after teaching in Roy, Montana, a small town 35 mile northeast of Lewistown.

Picard was the superintendent and principal of the school, which only had a population of 40 students from kindergarten through high school. He said it was a great experience and he loved it there but his wife lives in Ronan and the commute was more than five hours. His wife, Laurie, has been a dental hygienist in Polson for more than 30 years.

When the position opened up in Alberton, he jumped at the chance and he thought it would be a great fit for him. He will be working part time in his current position and will live in Ronan. Right now he’ll work on Tuesday and Wednesday. But he will also make a point of attending games and extra-curricular school events.

Picard grew up and graduated from high school in Butte. He then played football for a year at Montana State and then for Carroll College where he graduated in 1983. His oldest son, Bryce, also played football and graduated from Carroll. He now works for Montana Rail Link. His youngest son recently graduated from Great Falls College with a major in biology and a minor in chemistry and is trying to get into a school for physical therapy.

Football has always been a passion for Picard, which is obvious when seeing his newly decorated office in the high school. Little plastic NFL football helmets line the wall on shelves behind his desk. The Patriots helmet sits on its own shelf, since that’s his team.

While working in St. Ignatius, where he taught school for more than 20 years, a representative with Rydell showed him the collection of helmets. He immediately ordered a set and has taken them with him ever since.

“They’re a great conversation piece,” he said. “I wish I had a collection of college teams. But there are so many teams it would fill the room.”

College football is his real passion, and he coached football for most of his career. While at St. Ignatius not only did he coach football but also track, volleyball, basketball and wrestling. He also officiates games for the Montana Officials Association in football, volleyball and softball, which he said is more of a hobby than a job. Something that takes him all over the state in his limited free time.

In his 30-plus years of teaching and administration experience he has worked as a physical education teacher, coach, activities director, dean of students and assistant principal for St. Ignatius. He also taught at the Kicking Horse Job Corp and was vice principal in Havre. He also worked for the Department of Corrections pre-release center in Butte, the youth federal prison in Galen, and AWARE, an Anaconda company which deals with handicapped and severely emotionally disturbed kids.

“As an administrator my main focus is on what’s best for the kids. Not necessarily what’s best for the staff, but ultimately decisions are based on what’s best for the students,” said Picard.

He also isn’t one to come into a position and make big changes.

“I need time to observe and from what I’ve observed so far in Alberton things are going well. Kyle is doing a great job. I’m here to support and facilitate changes if needed,” he said.

Kyle Fisher has been the school’s principal for the past four years.

Picard said that the school board and community members seem friendly and he’s anxious to move forward. This year the school seems to be all right financially, but next year he thinks Montana schools will feel a budget crunch with a shift from federal to more local funding.

He’s also looking forward to working with Superior and thinks the school’s sports co-op is a great idea. While in Roy they had a co-op with Winifred and it was very successful. He knows Superior’s Superintendent, Scott Kinney, and worked with him when Kinney taught at Plains. Their schools were in the same district.

“He’s a great guy and we’ll have a great relationship as far as the co-op goes,” he said.

The two schools became a co-op two years ago to form the Clark Fork Mountain Cats.

Alberton School has approximately 140 students for grades K-12. The school recently received grant funding to include a preschool program starting this year. Classes begin on Aug. 24.