Schools to review facilities operations

Kalispell Public Schools' facilities and transportation department will face careful scrutiny over the next several months.

The district will closely examine the department to ensure that it is running as efficiently and as fiscally responsibly as possible, Superintendent Darlene Schottle said.

The department is a blend of in-house and contracted services, she said, and the review will examine whether the current blend is the best possible use of the district's dollars.

Also under review is the department's organizational structure.

At its regular meeting Tuesday night, the Kalispell board of trustees approved a seven-month contract with Chuck Cassidy, the department's director. Contracts with other administrators, including Schottle, were approved for a full year.

Kalispell's central office will face similar scrutiny this fall, Schottle said.

"Part of that is more organizational - are there departments we could put together?" she explained.

Schottle said she will present findings of the reviews to the school board by the beginning of December.

"At that time, the board will determine which jobs are necessary," she said.

The district employs about 60 people in the facilities and transportation department, Schottle said. Employees include bus drivers, custodians and maintenance workers.

The district also has contracted bus drivers and maintenance people, and subcontracts some snow removal and mowing jobs, she said.

"We will be looking at those blends to see if we're providing … the most customer service and looking at being the most fiscally responsible," Schottle said.

That's especially important during tough economic times, when the district might be able to get a better rate for some of its contracted services, she said.

"The prices [of those services' vary and we need to look at them occasionally to see if we're doing the best thing in the interest of the taxpayers' dollar," she said.

Reporter Kristi Albertson may be reached at 758-4438 or by e-mail at kalbertson@dailyinterlake.com