Whitefish School District approves $31.5M budget

The Whitefish School Board earlier this month approved a final 2026-27 budget of roughly $31.5 million and reviewed what was a busy summer for high school expansion crews and maintenance staff. 

The final budget is slightly less than the preliminary budget presented last month. 

The elementary general fund budget will increase by $167,837, or 1.43%, and the high school general fund will increase by $404,097, or 6.39%. These amounts are closely tied to student enrollment.  

Despite a slight decline in enrollment, the elementary district still receives an increase due to a 3% inflationary increase in state funding. 

Personnel are the largest expenditure in the district's budget. There are about 250 employees. Of those, 238 are full-time.  

The budget factors in debt services for the underway high school academic and athletic expansions. 

Business Clerk Lucie Shea anticipates decreases in Federal Title and Individuals with Disabilities Education Act grants. The Montana Office of Public Instruction typically doesn't release final numbers until September, she said.  

Only the budget of levied general funds was subject to the trustees' approval because they are taxpayer dollars.  

Maintenance Director Chad Smith gave an update of the work that he, alongside two full-time maintenance technicians and a part-time employee, did over the summer.  

Classroom and playgrounds were inspected and the lawns maintained. There were wall repairs and touchups in over 70 classrooms, over a dozen common areas and six offices. Four classrooms were replaced at the middle school. All three school gym floors were refinished. All 600 air filters and drinking fountain filters were serviced. There were a dozen plumbing repairs and old boilers were maintained. New student art was installed at the high school.   

To finish out the busy season, the annual task of setting up Memorial Field for football game takes "a village," Smith said. 

Luke Hamman, owner's representative for the district, gave an update on the high school expansion project, pointing out that maintenance staff have contributed to that as well.  

"Chad understated all he's done for the project," Hamman said. 

"There has been a ton of work this summer," Hamman added. "The mad dash is to put it all back together for students, so we're connecting water lines and utility lines to make things operational."  

All is good from a funding standpoint, Hamman said.  

Recent work has included installing structural steel in high school common areas. Foundations and utilities are being installed as the new trades area begins to take shape.  

Paving around the track is starting, and bleachers and field buildings frames will start to come up soon. The track is expected be ready for the spring season and the new stadium should be ready for fall 2027.  

School trustees also heard an update on the summer jump start program, which had 55 participants with 46 completing the full, 120-hour, five-week program. The state-funded initiative aims to enhance literacy and math skills for incoming kindergarten and third-grade students. Reading skills increased for about 31% of the third graders and for about 83% of the kindergarteners. About 36% of students showed an increase in math scores. 

Editor Kelsey Evans can be reached at 406-862-3505 or [email protected]. If you value local journalism, pledge your support at whitefishpilot.com/support.