Cayuse Prairie hires new administrator

Christy Bortz is set to take the reins as Cayuse Prairie School’s new superintendent and principal July 1.  

In June, she will start the onboarding process with outgoing administrator Amy Piazzola, who is retiring after serving in the district’s top job for 14 years.  

The school board approved a two-year contract earlier this month with a yearly salary of $93,500.  

Bortz joins the K-8 school from her position as an instructional coach at Hedges Elementary in Kalispell, where she’s worked since 2017. As an instructional coach, she works with classroom teachers to support and improve instructional practices, strategies and goals. 

“I’m working with teachers to help them improve their craft," Bortz said, which will dovetail into some of her responsibilities as an administrator.  

Prior to working at Hedges, she taught kindergarten and third grade at Peterson Elementary from 2013 to 2017, where she served as an administrative intern for the 2012-13 school year. The internship was a requirement for completing an administrative degree, which she began in Utah before moving to Montana. Starting her career as a classroom teacher in Utah in 2008, Bortz said she was encouraged by administrators to become an administrator. 

“I always sought opportunities to participate in school-wide systems and structures,” Bortz said, such as Kalispell Public Schools’ response to intervention framework to identify and support struggling students. 

Bortz holds a Master of Education degree from Jones International University and a Bachelor of Education from Utah State University with K-12 principal certification. She plans to earn a superintendent endorsement at the University of Montana, potentially enrolling in classes this summer.  

Three candidates were interviewed for the superintendent and principal position.   

School board chairman Tyler Hash said Bortz stood out for her participative leadership style and emphasis on prioritizing student needs first and open communication between staff and parents.   

“These [qualities] lined up with what we gathered as key characteristics for a superintendent from a community survey we conducted early in the search process and were ones the board felt were key to maintain a positive culture at Cayuse," Hash said in an email to the Daily Inter Lake. “We weren't looking forward to a hard charger to come in and ‘fix’ the school, but someone who can continue to build upon the success we have now.”  

He said the board viewed her prior work experience as an instructional coach as beneficial to the position.  

“Although she didn't have prior superintendent experience, we felt her experience as an instructional coach would give her a good school-wide perspective, solid experience as a mentor to teaching staff and a data-based quality improvement outlook," he said. “She'll have a learning curve in fulfilling all the superintendent responsibilities, but we felt she has a great potential and mindset to learn these while demonstrating some of the character traits we think will fit well within the school.”  

Bortz said she is honored to serve the Cayuse Prairie community and its students and families.  

“I think my focus is ensuring students feel safe, supported and challenged, which means having strong instruction in the school, a positive culture and making decisions that always keep students at the center,” she said.  

Reporter Hilary Matheson can be reached at 406-758-4431 or hmatheson@dailyinterlake.com. If you value local journalism, pledge your support at dailyinterlake.com/support.