A history of current Flathead districts

Over the years, Flathead County has supported nearly 100 school districts.

Some have since become part of Lake, Lincoln or Sanders counties as county boundary lines have been redrawn. Others have consolidated to form new districts or have been annexed into other districts. Still others have simply closed their doors forever.

Following is a history of the county’s current school districts, based on information compiled by the Flathead County Superintendent of Schools Office. More information about past and present Flathead school districts is available on the superintendent’s Web site, http://flathead.mt.gov/schools/.

• Bigfork — Originally cut from the Holt district in 1901; the Bigfork district was created when it consolidated with the Glen School district in 1932.

• Cayuse Prairie — Created in 1898. It consolidated with the Lake Blaine district in 1971 and annexed the Mountain Brook district in 1992.

• Columbia Falls — Formerly was a Missoula County district; the new district was created in September 1898.

• Creston — Created from the Egan district in 1905; its first trustee was appointed in 1893.

• Deer Park — The district’s first schoolhouse was built in 1886, and the first record of an elected trustee was in 1893.

• Evergreen — Called Coram when it formed in 1904, the district changed its name in 1906.

• Fair-Mont-Egan — Formed when the Fairview, Montford and Egan districts consolidated in 1966.

• Helena Flats — Formerly a Missoula County district; the Helena Flats district formed in 1893.

• Kalispell — Formerly a Missoula County district; the Kalispell district organized in 1884.

• Kila — Originally called Sedan, the district formed in 1893. It changed its name to Kila in 1914, then to Coon Hollow in 1930 and 1931, then back to Kila again.

• Marion — Created in 1905; consolidated with the Thompson River and Athens districts in 1963 and 1964.

• Olney-Bissell — Created as the Olney District in 1907; it has been called Olney-Bissell since 1927.

• Pleasant Valley — Created in 1903, and included a campus at Lost Prairie from 1933 through 1958.

• Smith Valley — Formed when the Batavia and Boorman districts consolidated in 1989.

• Somers — Created in 1895, and consolidated with several Flathead Lake districts over the years, including Lakeside.

• Swan River — First called Swan Lake, the district was organized in 1893. It changed its name in 1906.

• West Glacier — Seceded from the Columbia Falls School District in August 1986.

• West Valley — Formed in 1962 when the Spring Creek, Sparks, Stillwater and Prospect Park districts consolidated.

• Whitefish — Created in 1903.