Columbia Falls School District Superintendent Cory Dziowgo and staff recently made a pitch to the Montana Board of Public Education for a new Columbia Falls Trades Academy.

The academy would build upon an already robust trades program at the school which has been in partnership with Glacier National Park for several years now. Students from Columbia Falls build cabins and other structures for the park in a partnership with Glacier, the school and the Glacier National Park Conservancy, which provides key funding for the program.

The district is hoping to expand that idea to the campus at the former Canyon Elementary School.

There are six school districts in Montana (with two proposals from Stevensville) looking to get a slice of a $1 million state funding pie to get the program off the ground.

Columbia Falls hopes to garner about $347,000 in funding in the first year, with a target of 45 students the first year and 65 by year five.

Not only would the program teach trades, but there would be math, English and other skills associated with the program as well.

In the first year, if approved, the charter school would operate on the high school campus in 2027 and then transition to the former Canyon Elementary School in 2028.

The Columbia Falls application stands out from others in that it’s the only trade charter school being proposed in the state this year, and it already has a proven track record of success, with students having built several structures successfully for Glacier Park every year.

Most other schools are proposing “alternative” high schools to help students graduate; Stevensville is proposing a charter school that focuses on the healthcare industry, which is another unique view.

The district will know in mid-January if it’s been selected, Dziowgo said.

In the meantime, businesses and individuals who would like to submit letters of support to the state board are encouraged to do so.

Letters can be emailed to executive director McCall Flynn at [email protected] or Lea Ann Munkres at [email protected]

The charter school would still fall under the umbrella of the School District 6 Board, though it is meant to appeal to communities across the Flathead Valley.