The Whitefish School Board approved an agreement with Rocky Mountain Transportation for the 2025-26 school year that includes safer routes, administrators said. The routes are to be more consolidated, going from 12 to 10. 

“We will be able to pick up more families in the Whitefish Hills and eliminate a congested area in the Midway Mini Mart area,” said Josh Branstetter, Whitefish Middle School principal. 

Seth Soley, owner of Rocky Mountain Transportation, said he had driven every route this previous school year multiple times, and saw inefficiencies to improve.  

Despite afternoons getting busier, he said he was still able to complete all routes in under an hour – and that that time goal will remain for next year, with the new routes.  

Trustee Darcy Schellinger commended the high number of right-hand turns incorporated into the new routes. 

The routes must be approved by the Flathead County Transportation Committee later this month before they become finalized.  

Within the agreement with Rocky Mountain Transportation, there is also an 8% inflationary increase in costs, and an amendment that states that for activities transportation, the district will not be responsible for costs for mechanical breakdowns that last longer than one hour. 

THE BOARD also approved the annual agreement with the Glacier Twins to sublease the stadium at Memorial Park, for the total cost of $6,000 for games and two assemblies only – no practices – with the lease set to end at the conclusion of the 2025 football season.  

“I know it’s hard, and there’s a lot of challenges with this, but we should acknowledge that the Twins allow us to continue to use it, until we get our field built,” Schellinger said. “It’s great... especially given the recent P.R. fiasco.”   

THE PRELIMINARY budget for the 2025-26 school year was presented by Lucie Shea, district clerk.  

The total budget is $30,490,051, an increase of about 14% from 2024-25. Last year, by comparison, saw an increase of 5.1% from 2023-24.  

Most notably, the 14% increase is a result of $3,088,000 in debt payments for the $32.6 million bond approved by voters last year. The debt payments will leveled for the next 20 years. They are structured so that the taxpayer does not experience ups or downs, Shea said.  

The general funds for the elementary and high schools will increase by 6.8% and 5.8%, respectively.  

The general fund sees inflationary increases from the state every year, Shea said. This year it is an inflationary increase of 3%.  

This year’s general funds also reflect an increase in funding from the state through the STARS Act, specifically its Quality Educator component, which will go toward base salaries for new educators and licensed positions like librarians.  

Another positive increase in the budget is based on a new law that states that districts must reimburse other districts when a student attends elsewhere. Essentially, if a student transfers, the taxpayer’s dollar transfers with the student, and Whitefish School District takes in more students than go out.  

Whitefish voters also approved an operating levy of $100,000 for the high school in the election held on May 6. 

“Despite these changes, the district continues to see a higher cost of goods and services on a daily basis,” Shea wrote in the budget’s message. 

Schellinger questioned if attending fewer tournaments last year had “trickled down” for activities expenses for the 2025-26 school year.  

Shea said it had not, and that the cost of activities will continue to increase into the 2025-26 school year.  

Trustee Rayne Beach questioned the $108,000 drop in funds allocated for adult education. Shea said that those funds just simply haven’t been used.  

THE DISTRICT is creating a human resources position and is hiring soon.  

Responsibilities will include mediation, administrative guidance, exit interviews and Title XI matters. 

The trustees discussed prioritizing specialized, human resources experience over educational and administrative experiences.  

“I’d rather have somebody with a bachelor’s degree and six years of responsible human resource experience than somebody who has a master’s degree in education,” Schellinger said.  

Trustees Beach, Elizabeth Pitman, Shannon Hanson and Jerrie Boksich all provided suggestions to consolidate the long list of responsibilities. 

SUPERINTENDENT Dave Means discussed findings from 11 out 13 exit interviews he conducted at the end of this school year.  

Four were retiring, others left for new positions. Some noted needing more family time, and one left because they said they were unable to live on a teacher’s salary.  

“Two individuals said they may have stayed longer if they had additional support,” Means said. “Things noted as growth for the district include more comprehensive initial training for all new staff on district programs and tools, use of mentors on a regular series of training support, administrators in the classrooms on a more regular basis, and paraprofessionals indicated that additional training, some online, would be beneficial.”  

THE NATE Chute Foundation recently received a grant that will enable them to create a resource directory for mental health as well as hire a care coordinator, who will assist across the valley.  

“One thing we want is to create access to resources... the care coordinator is going to help navigate people,” Means said.  

He said the care coordinator will look to work with Student Outreach Committee for community engagement support and will provide training for parents and educators, including training on phone usage and social media.