Schools unveil expansion plans

This fall Heather Houseworth’s daughter will be a third-grader at Edgerton Elementary, one of the schools slated for classroom additions if a $3.35 million elementary bond request passes in September.

Houseworth was the only parent who was not a district employee to attend an information session last Thursday to discuss architectural drawings of the proposed Edgerton and Peterson school additions with Tom Heinecke, supervising engineer with Morrison-Maierle. 

“I wanted to see what the actual plans were,” Houseworth said. “It’s nice to be able to visualize where they’re going to put the addition on.”

The bonds would be used to add four classrooms at each school — plus a multipurpose room at Peterson — to alleviate overcrowding in kindergarten through second-grade classes. A new central kitchen at Kalispell Middle School also is included in the proposal. 

The drawings illustrated that new classrooms at Edgerton would be located on both floors of the school’s two existing wings. Edgerton is the only elementary school in the district with two floors. 

Peterson’s classrooms, multi-purpose room and a small kitchen would be connected by an existing hallway to the southeast side of the school. 

Ballots will be mailed out Aug. 29 and are due back by Sept. 18.

Heinecke also presented project timelines. 

If the bond request is approved, the project would be a two-year process. 

Construction of the classroom additions would begin in January 2013 with move-in slated for July through August 2013. Construction of the central kitchen would begin in April 2013 with move-in planned between March and July 2014.

Having construction going on while class is in session concerned Houseworth.

“I know construction can be very disruptive. They talked about doing the louder, more dusty stuff, when the children are not here, on weekends or later hours,” Houseworth said. “I think they are recognizing they need to get it done quickly so that we have the space, but at the same time not being a detriment” to students’ education.

Last year, Houseworth’s daughter was in second grade. 

“I think her class probably had a few more students than normal and I think her teacher handled it well,” Houseworth said. “I don’t think she missed out because of that.”

The district has struggled to meet state accreditation standards, which call for no more than 20 students in kindergarten through second-grade classes. Kindergarten class sizes last February averaged 24 students with 22 students in first-grade classes.

Enrollment estimates show that kindergarten through sixth-grade enrollment may increase by 123 students this fall.

Edgerton Principal Merisa Murray said she has utilized every space in the building.

“Our cafeteria closet where we store tables is now a counselor’s office,” Murray said, and added that a closet in the cafeteria will become the music teacher’s office this school year. The music classes will also be moved from a large room next to the cafeteria into a classroom. 

The larger music room will be used for a kindergarten team-taught class of about 38 students. Murray is not sure how the sound will affect neighboring classrooms.

To see the impact of overcrowding at Peterson, community members are invited to tour classrooms at the school between 1 and 3 p.m. Sept. 4.

Districts that don’t take steps to attempt meeting accreditation may face withholding of state aid.

For more information, visit www.sd5.k12.mt.us.

Reporter Hilary Matheson may be reached at 758-4431 or by email at hmatheson@dailyinterlake.com.