The project team for the Whitefish High School expansion has responded to requests from the public to implement sustainable choices.  

“Something that is not possible to quantify in dollars; [is] our need to do the right thing and incrementally upgrade buildings and transportation to eliminate pollution,” wrote Whitefish resident Robin Paone in a letter to the school board detailing energy saving recommendations.  

“We’re in a balancing act of just making sure we’re tracking with costs, and we’re getting to the point where you’re always thinking about what the market will bear, and the unknowns,” Shane Jacobs, A&E designer, said at the school board meeting last week, 

Owners' representative Luke Hamman said that after considering the costs versus what is included in the bond, they have made a decision to stick with the current heating system.  

“Heat pumps still require backup heat,” Hamman said. “Hot water heating is typically the most practical for that. And then we have existing boilers that were installed roughly 10 years ago. They have a lot of life left in them and replacing them would have a high embodied cost as well as a ... high cost to switch to electrical heating.” 

However, they are working on energy efficient improvements to the current system and have planned all electrical systems for the athletic portion of the project, he said.  

They also evaluated induction stoves. Electric is too expensive, and they are sticking with gas for culinary because “it is a widely used industry standard,” he said. 

Solar is not a good option for the addition to the high school building because it does not have proper orientation for sunlight, he said.  

“But the CTE [Career and Technical Education] area does have a good spot for potential solar, so that system could potentially be added in the future,” he said. 

Another update includes the schedule for track season. The high school track and field team will have about two practices a week at Columbia Falls Junior High after construction starts on the athletic fields in March.  

It would take nearly $1,000 per practice to bus middle schoolers to an alternative location, so the younger athletes will have to be creative with practice in Whitefish.  

“I’ve urged our coaches to get creative with the space they do have,” said Aric Harris, activities and athletics director. “Just want to thank [Columbia Falls] for being willing to sit down and listen. It’s good to have these relationships with our neighbors.” 

Most recently, conduit was installed with plans to switch over to a fiber optic network over the holiday break.  

Currently, both academic and athletic construction documents are at or beyond 50% completion. A conditional use permit for construction will be heading to City Council in January. The projects will go out to bid in February and construction is scheduled to start March 23. The athletic portion is scheduled to be completed in spring 2027, prior to spring sports season. The academic is scheduled to be completed in August 2027. 

The design for the academic project shows a “Bulldog boulevard” on the second floor and a “commons” on the first floor. Both spaces emphasize natural lighting, flexible seating and identity-building design elements. Structurally, administration will remain in its existing location and the current gym extension will become more of an academic wing. The career and technical education expansion will have garage doors opening to a covered outdoor learning space.

The athletic project includes 1,500 seat grandstands, a new football field, practice fields and a 10-lane track. The design currently details minimums for “base bids” with alternates to add more features, such as sidewalks or throwing fields.