POLSON — A new superintendent is in charge of Polson schools after Rex Weltz announced his resignation last week.
New superintendent Tom DiGiallonardo has spent the last 20 years working in the Polson School District, most recently as curriculum director.
Before that, he served as principal and athletic director of Polson Middle School, among other roles.
DiGiallonardo takes over the position during uncertain times for the school district due to COVID-19. He says Polson has an opening plan in place for in-person learning that aligns with neighboring school districts.
This plan includes a COVID-19 emergency response team for each school in the district, looking at specialized instruction and student safety.
“Our protocols for students entering the building, protocols on buses, protocols exiting the building, passing periods, lunches, all of those details that need to be worked out between now and August 26 when our students come back,” said DiGiallonardo.
DiGiallonardo says each student has a choice to opt for online remote learning if they feel uncomfortable with in-person schooling.
He says a short-term goal for the district is to make sure every kid has proper technology resources to thrive outside of the classroom if need be.
“One of our biggest challenges last spring was getting technology into the student’s hands, and if we can pass a tech levy in our community we could be a one-to-one district and students would have their own device, and it would be much more seamless if we have to transition and shift back and forth from on-site to at-home learning,” said DiGiallonardo.
Outgoing Superintendent Rex Weltz will officially resign on Aug. 7 and will help DiGiallonardo transition into his new role over the coming weeks.
Weltz accepted an administrative position with Helena Public Schools, after working for the Polson School District since 2012.
