We're being true to our schools

School bells ring this week for most Flathead Valley students, and the excitement is always tangible as children stuff backpacks full of new supplies and head out the door that first day.

This year, there's an added sense of anticipation with $79 million worth of new school construction either under way or on the verge of happening.

Specifically, that figure includes $39.8 million for Glacier High School, $10.9 million for Kalispell Junior High's expansion, $15.8 million for Flathead Valley Community College upgrades, $10.2 million for Whitefish's new Central School, $1.3 million for Smith Valley School and $1.2 million for Swan River School.

Whew! That's a lot of taxpayer support for education.

And there are other, earlier expansions, such as recent upgrades at East Evergreen Elementary School and the new Columbia Falls Junior High School, that weren't figured into our $79 million tally.

Economic growth in the Flathead is, of course, the driving force behind the need to expand school facilities. Flathead County's population is currently estimated at 82,490, an increase of about 8,000 people since the 2000 census. At a time when much of Montana is coming to terms with school consolidations or even closures, we're trying to find classroom space for roughly 15,000 students in grades K-12.

Not all of the school projects have been passed without controversy. In Whitefish, earlier design plans were tossed out for a new Central School and a committee ultimately shepherded the process of designing a building that will look much like the historic 1912 building that came tumbling down this summer. A proposal to expand the high school in Whitefish didn't pass, but will probably get more support once Central School is up and running.

All of this investment is a profound statement, we believe, of how much area residents value their schools and are willing to dig into their own pockets for the sake of future generations.

The Kalispell Junior High School expansion, for example, will increase property taxes by about $54 per $100,000 in tax valuation, while property owners in the high school district will pay about $79 more in taxes per $100,000 in tax valuation.

An education is still something that provides a good return on investment for taxpayers.

It isn't always as tangible as a backpack filled with new pencils and paper or the bricks and mortar for all of these new school buildings, but it's clear the Flathead Valley truly knows the value of a quality education system.