Arlee superintendent to resign June 30
EMILY MESSER | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 1 month, 1 week AGO
Superintendent Cory Beckham said during the board meeting in February about consolidating to a K-8 building that cuts will have to be made to save the budget.
Emily Messer joined the Lake County Leader in July of 2025 after earning a B.A. degree in Journalism from the University of Montana. Emily grew up on a farm in the rolling hills of southeast Missouri and enjoys covering agriculture and conservation. She's lived in Montana since 2022 and honed her reporter craft with the UM J-School newspaper and internships with the RMEF Bugle Magazine and the Missoulian. At the Leader she covers the St. Ignatius Town Council, Polson City Commission and a variety of business, lifestyle and school news. Contact Emily Messer at [email protected] or 406.883.4343 | April 2, 2026 12:00 AM
At the most recent Arlee School Board meeting on Thursday, March 26, the board voted to accept Superintendent Cory Beckham's resignation letter, effective June 30.
Beckham has been with the district for six years and served two of those as superintendent. The district has recently experienced financial issues due to declining enrollment, and Beckham has had to make many cuts, according to previous Lake County Leader reporting.
“Please accept this letter as my formal resignation from my position as superintendent, effective June 30, 2026. Thanks for your support over the years,” Beckham’s letter read.
At a board meeting last month, Arlee faced the decision to either consolidate the middle school and the elementary into one building or make staff cuts. After hearing public comment against the decision, the board voted against the consolidation.
The lack of consolidation meant that Beckham had to find more money, which meant more cuts to personnel. He noted at the board meeting about the consolidation that those cuts were not savings; they were people he knows.
Beckham’s letter did not detail why he decided to resign, and he didn’t respond to the Leader before the print deadline.
The board also voted to have Kaleva Law Office assist them in the process of finding candidates for the next school year.
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