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• District delays rehiring 36 teachers until budget clarifed Play Video

  March 27, 2012 6:31 PM

  MISSOULA- Missoula County Public Schools (MCPS) formally notified 36 non-tenured teachers Tuesday that their teaching contracts would not be renewed for next year, until the District can determine how much money it will spend on programs and services for the 2012-2013 school year. The District says they are postponing... more »

• Kalispell schools awarded $10K grant Play Video

  March 20, 2012 6:43 PM

  KALISPELL- Kalispell Public Schools is awarded $10,000 to increase the number of Montana students graduating from high school. It's all part of Graduation Matters Kalispell. Superintendent Denise Juneau says the Kalispell School District is putting an impressive team together to increase their graduation rate and raise expectations for all students.... more »

• Polson to pay $120K to dismiss superintendent Play Video

  March 15, 2012 12:40 AM

  POLSON- The Polson School board called a special meeting Wednesday evening to finalize a settlement agreement with its now "former" superintendent, David Whitesell. Whitesell approached the board Monday seeking restitution for his claim that the Polson School District discriminated against him for his Native American heritage. Through a day-long... more »

• Students to see changes at Libby schools Play Video

  August 31, 2011 8:52 AM

  LIBBY- Schools open in Libby next week and students will be experiencing some changes this year after Asa Wood Elementary School closed down. Libby Elementary School, which was formerly Libby Middle School, will now house grades K though six and the high school will house grades seven through 12.... more »

• Chance McKinney n' Crosswire concert helps raise funds for MT schools Play Video

  August 10, 2011 5:51 PM

  MISSOULA- The Wilma Theater rocked Tuesday night to the tunes of Chance McKinney n' Crosswire. The Missoula native spoke at a teacher's convention Monday on music and technology, and as a former math teacher, McKinney says he still wants to help even though he's no longer in the classroom. ... more »

• Montana school dropout rate falls

  June 7, 2011 1:55 PM

  There's some good news coming out Helena just as the 2010-2011 school year comes to a close with a newly release report showing that Montana's school dropout rate has fallen. The Montana Office of Public Instruction has released its 2010 Statewide Dropout and Graduate Report, which shows that the... more »

• High school drug use a concern in Kalispell Play Video

  May 31, 2011 9:11 AM

  KALISPELL- The Glacier High School resource officer says he is seeing a surge of methamphetamine use and now some students are injecting synthetic cocaine. The Kalispell Police Department has found students are beginning to inject and smoke synthetic cocaine that can be found in smoke shops. Synthetic cocaine is... more »

• Montana education funding still in flux Play Video

  May 11, 2011 10:46 AM

  HELENA- Governor Brian Schweitzer is yet to sign the state's budget and its companion bill to fund education into law. Meanwhile, the Office of Public Instruction is bracing for tight times after the governor vetoed a bill that allowed for inflationary increases. During the first year, funding will... more »

• 3 candidates remain in Whitefish schools chief search

  March 24, 2011 2:38 PM

  WHITEFISH- Whitefish School District officials have narrowed down their list of finalists for the Superintendent of Schools position to three candidates who will be interviewed after Spring break. The three in the running are Kathryn Orozco, who is currently the associate superintendent in North Platte Nebraska; Robert Gratz who... more »

• Frenchtown school takes aim at bullying Play Video

  February 10, 2011 2:42 PM

  FRENCHTOWN - The term "kids will be kids" is no longer being tolerated as an excuse for bullying at Frenchtown Elementary School. The anti-bullying program called Olweus officially launched on Thursday morning with a presentation shown to kindergarten through sixth grade students. Staff members introduced their preventative approach... more »

• Tester visits Helena school

  November 10, 2010 1:22 PM

  HELENA - U.S. Senator Jon Tester returned to his roots on Tuesday, as he visited Four Georgians School in Helena. He visited two classrooms while at the school, including his granddaughter's, answering questions from students. Tester also read some books to the students, including "Clifford Goes To Washington."... more »

• Kalispell goes red against bullying Play Video

  November 10, 2010 10:54 AM

  KALISPELL - Russell Elementary School kicked off it's bullying prevention program on Tuesday with a very bright and positive dress code. The district-wide Olweus Bullying Prevention Program concentrates on sending messages to students about bullying and making kids feel safe. Students dressed in red T-shirts with positive messages... more »

• One Class At a Time: Seeley Lake Elementary School Play Video

  September 21, 2010 10:03 AM

  SEELEY LAKE - This season's re-launch of the One Class at a Time Grant brings new beginnings to a kindergarten class at Seeley Lake Elementary School. Meghan DeLeo and her students raise chicks as part of their life science studies, but last year's experience didn't go so well.... more »

• Western MT teachers get loan repayment help

  August 6, 2010 1:05 PM

  MISSOULA -There's some help on the way to try and bring more teachers to Western Montana. Superintendent of Public Instruction Denise Juneau has announced that that the state is providing student loan repayment help to 163 teachers as an incentive to recruit teachers in needed fields to rural areas.... more »

• Bozeman School Board raises administrator salaries

  June 15, 2010 2:56 PM

  BOZEMAN - The Bozeman School Board has voted to raise the salaries of school administrators. The board unanimously approved raising base pay rates by one percent. That rate has remained flat for the last two years. The increase amounts to a total cost of over $32,000 to the district.... more »

• Flyer sparks controversy over medical marijuana

  June 2, 2010 9:15 PM

  BILLINGS - A flyer sent out with some local elementary students here in Billings is causing an uproar. The controversy over medical cannabis has now shifted over to young children. In fact, about 300 Newman Elementary School students went home with this flyer yesterday afternoon asking people to take... more »

• Butte School District under investigation for allegations of misappropriated funds

  May 25, 2010 1:00 PM

  BUTTE - Montana Office of Public Instruction will conduct an investigation into allegations the Butte School District misappropriated and misallocated Title 1 funds involving the Webster Alternative High School and Special Education Services Department. The Webster School has been renamed to the Butte High Career Center. The formal complaint... more »

• SD2 closes deal with new superintendent

  May 25, 2010 12:10 PM

  BILLINGS - With the stroke of a pen, School District Two officially has a new superintendent. Dr. Keith Beeman signed his contract, Monday night, during a special school board meeting. School District Two Officials spent the last six months searching for the right person to replace current superintendent Jack Copps.... more »

• Missoula playground project need online votes

  May 19, 2010 1:16 PM

  MISSOULA - It's time to cast your vote and help out a local project. Lewis and Clark Elementary School is taking part in a national competition hosted by non-profit playground builder KaBOOM!. A group of parents who have been raising funds for a new playground have landed the project... more »

• Flathead voters cast ballots

  May 5, 2010 8:28 AM

  KALISPELL - Voters in Flathead County had their say on school levies Tuesday. Whitefish voters approved a levy request for the elementary school district, but levies in Kalispell and Kila were defeated. Kalispell voters did not approve a $338,000 levy for the Kalispell elementary schools by about 200 votes. The... more »

• Hamilton voters consider two school levies

  May 4, 2010 6:05 PM

  HAMILTON -The Hamilton School District is asking voters to approve two levies Tuesday: one for technology, and another for building repairs. The Technology Levy would be a permanent tax increase of about $20 per taxpayer each year. It would cover licensing and software fees plus updated equipment the district's... more »

• Small schools face big challenges in Montana Play Video

  May 3, 2010 1:44 PM

  GREAT FALLS - More of the Montana's students are leaving small schools for more populated ones, according to recent data from the Office of Public Instruction. Public schools in Dutton and Brady joined together in 2005 because of declining student populations. Tim Tharp, the Dutton-Brady superintendent, noted, "It's hard. You... more »

• Hamilton town hall meeting set

  April 26, 2010 12:20 PM

  HAMILTON - A Town Hall meeting has been scheduled for Hamilton School District. and the residents of Hamilton are invited a discussion about the upcoming school election. "We hope to have an open and candid dialog with the community," said Hamilton School Superintendent Duby Santee. "Our goal is to... more »

• Emergency preparedness taught in Butte

  April 21, 2010 1:36 PM

  BUTTE - About 60 local school district professionals gathered at Butte High School Tuesday to learn about emergency preparedness. This is the second day of emergency management training these groups are going through. The first was in February and the last two will be in the fall. They... more »

• Tools of education are changing

  April 16, 2010 12:31 PM

  CORVALLIS - According to Webster's Dictionary, a slate is a tablet used for writing on...black boards, white boards, and now Smart Boards. The State of Montana has a grant called "New Slate" to bring the newest technologies to the classrooms and the Corvallis School District has been chosen as... more »

• MCPS reassigns 3 principals Play Video

  April 12, 2010 3:39 PM

  MISSOULA - The Missoula County Public Schools is reassigning three principals to new positions within the district. Human Resources Director Larry Johnson says the announcement was made last Thursday and that the principals from Big Sky High School, Washington Middle School and Meadow Hill Middle School will be reassigned.... more »

• Montana schools receive PPL grants

  April 12, 2010 3:13 PM

  BOZEMAN - Two Bozeman schools are among seven in Montana that will receive grants for projects as part of PPL Montana's Project Earth Environmental Education Grants program. At Hyalite Elementary School students will use the money to transform an existing outdoor amphitheater into a Lewis & Clark-themed learning site... more »

• Bozeman to vote on school levies

  April 9, 2010 11:58 AM

  BOZEMAN - Bozeman tax payers will vote on school budget levies in the coming weeks. School district officials are now trying to drum up support for this year's May 4 election. Superintendent Kirk Miller had five other meetings in addition to an interview with KBZK to talk about the... more »

• National Report Card ranks MT students in top 10

  March 31, 2010 1:46 PM

  HELENA - The "Nation's Report Card" has been released, and Montana's students are scoring higher than the national average, according to the recent National Assessment of Educational Progress. The testing covers subjects including arts, civics, geography, reading, science and math. About 21,000 students in fourth and eighth grade across Montana... more »

• Science comes alive for Stevensville students Play Video

  March 25, 2010 8:21 AM

  STEVENSVILLE- A new after school program in Stevensville has middle school students eager to learn about science. The program, known as BRASS, teaches students about different scientific methods and how they are applied to everyday life. Each class features a new scientific theme, complete with interactive activities and... more »

• PBS spotlight shines on MT high school choirs

  March 12, 2010 12:30 PM

  The talents of Montana high school choirs were enjoyed across the state on Thursday night, as Montana PBS broadcast a program titled "Celebrate America". More than 500 students converged on Bozeman in November to tape the show at the Montana PBS facility, and they were led in song by nationally... more »

• Billings schools another $1 million in the hole

  March 12, 2010 12:06 PM

  BILLINGS - School District two's budget shortfall just got about a million dollars bigger. On Thursday, Superintendent Jack Copps confirmed the district's business department miscalculated and made a forecasting error in the budget shortfall. It was initially forecast that the high school had a budget shortfall of about $900,000. The... more »

• Great Falls student puts civics lesson to work to help Haiti

  March 12, 2010 11:44 AM

  GREAT FALLS - Young lawmakers in a Great Falls social studies class are helping Haiti earthquake victims. A fifth-grade class at Morningside Elementary School is spending time learning about how bills are passed through Congress. As part of the lessons, each student wrote a bill, and Ashley Furr proposed... more »

• Polson School Board seeking principal applicants

  March 12, 2010 10:53 AM

  POLSON - The Polson School Board closed applications for a new principal at Linderman School during their March 8 th meeting . A replacement is being sought for Steve York who left in January to take a new position at the State Department of Education. Director of Human... more »

• One Class at a Time: Big Sky High School

  March 9, 2010 9:41 AM

  MISSOULA - Folks who head out to the Missoula Farmers Market this spring will see "One Class at a Time" grant dollars at work. Big Sky High School Agriculture Teacher Tom Andres says he's taking the $250 and hopes to turn it into $500. His students are growing plants... more »

• Flathead HS picks up grant money

  March 1, 2010 9:11 PM

  KALISPELL - Montana has picked up $25,000 in grants for low-income students, and much of it is heading to Flathead High School. The grant was given to the state of Montana by the Department of Education to help expand some advance placement programs for low income students. The money... more »

• Small MT schools losing students to larger schools

  February 26, 2010 1:05 PM

  CHOTEAU - According to the Montana Office of Public Instruction, one-third of all Montana students attend a school with an enrollment of more than 500 students. Just five years ago, just 6% of students attended a large school. Simply put, small schools are losing students to large schools. Montana News... more »

• One Class at a Time: Missoula International School Play Video

  February 22, 2010 3:19 PM

  MISSOULA - Students at the Missoula International School are diving deeper into their studies thanks to this week's One Class at a Time grant. The Missoula International School reaches beyond the text book and takes on an exploratory approach with their inquiry based curriculum, often inviting artists and other... more »

• Missoula school superintendent gets extended contract

  February 10, 2010 12:49 AM

  The Missoula school board has unanimously agreed to extend Missoula's superintendent Dr. Alex Apostle contract until 2013. School Board Chair Toni Rehbein says terms of the contract still need to be ironed and that will be done over the summer. Apostle's current contract expires in July, but the... more »

• Colstrip schools' superintendent steps down

  January 28, 2010 10:37 AM

  COLSTRIP- Colstrip public schools ' superintendent has announced he will step down from his position at the end of the school year. Harry Cheff's letter of resignation was accepted Monday night by the Colstrip school board. Joanne Schrupp, the board chair, tells us that Cheff will leave his position... more »

• MCPS kicking off campaign to keep kids in school

  January 15, 2010 9:07 PM

  Several months of hard work will pay off next week when the Missoula County Public Schools launch a new campaign to keep kids in school. "Graduation Matters Missoula" is a community-wide effort to improve the high-school graduation rate. The program is being developed by volunteer teams which include everyone... more »

• Hill Co. cuts superintendent position to part-time

  January 13, 2010 12:34 PM

  During a meeting last week, Hill County Commissioners made a decision to cut the county's full-time Superintendent of Schools position to part-time. County Commissioner Mike Wendland explained, "I feel that whoever files and is elected for that position can maintain the services to our school districts at a part time... more »

• Missoula official stressing stay in school message

  January 13, 2010 11:08 AM

  During Monday's City Council meeting, Missoula County Public Schools and formally announced "Graduation Matters Missoula Day". MCPS Superintendent Alex Apostle addressed the council telling them an alarming number of Missoula students, as many as 20% to 30% drop out of high school or fail to graduate. He added... more »

• School Board searches for new Superintendent

  November 16, 2009 9:45 PM

  UPDATE Billings School Board members plan to hold a special meeting Thursday at the Lincoln Center to discuss the superintendent search. The meeting comes in the wake of last night's surprise announcement by District Two Superintendent Jack Copps, that he'll be stepping down at the end of the current... more »