HILARY MATHESON
EDUCATION REPORTER
Hilary Matheson covers education for the Daily Inter Lake. Her reporting focuses on schools, students, and the policies that shape public education across Northwest Montana. Matheson regularly reports on school boards, district decisions and issues affecting teachers and families. Her work examines how funding, enrollment and state policy influence local school systems. She helps readers understand how education decisions affect students and communities throughout the region.
IMPACT: Hilary’s work provides transparency and insight into the schools that serve thousands of local families.
Recent Stories
Former teacher Roy Barker
Teacher hopes to give photos to former students
It's a snail's pace for French students
Whitefish to move alternative high school
Flathead grad depicts birth of The Bomb to life
Unlike a traditional book, a graphic novel is lost without the emotional punch that illustrations pack.
'Shoot Out' aiming to raise money for school
Baton twirlers learn it's all in the wrist
Cameras spotlight garden's harvest
Lions Club to produce documentary about Whitefish venture
As school vegetable gardens gain momentum in the valley, one is receiving national attention.
Glacier High students plant a new garden
The landscaping at Glacier High School is pretty sparse. The variety of birds is sparser except for the occasional seagulls and crows.
House hopefuls differ on natural-resource use
District picks architect for school construction
Kalispell Public Schools has chosen Architects Design Group to design the district’s elementary construction project.
Elite science session an idea factory
Science, technology, engineering and math are the subject areas of STEM, an acronym that has moved to the forefront in education.
Voters approve Kalispell school bonds
Kalispell voters have approved a $3.35 million elementary district bond request.
iPad 'a real game changer' in class
Mobile devices such as iPads are paving the way as the mode of delivering classroom instruction.
School bond ballots due by Tuesday
Voters living in the Kalispell elementary school district have until 8 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 18, to decide a $3.35 million bond request.
Flutist a four-time All-State pick
As a fifth-grader, Barrie Sugarman started to play her sister’s flute.
Parents provide helmets for Somers football team
The Somers Middle School Mustangs weren’t sure they would have a football season this year.
Teachers learn Common Core vocabulary
The hot topic at the second annual “Math in the Mountains” conference this year was the Common Core Standards.
Historic Whitefish bar reopens in new digs
Casey’s staff rolled out the red carpet and put up velvet rope lines for Friday’s opening night, as a Whitefish landmark was back in business.
Making do with 'Mega Two'
Stephanie Girardot focuses her camera Wednesday morning on her youngest child, 6-year-old Dawson, to snap one last photo before he starts first grade in JeNeil Devlin-Grace’s class at Peterson Elementary School.
Bond ballots to be mailed today
Voters asked to approve $3.35 million
Voters in Kalispell Public Schools elementary district have until Sept. 18 to decide a $3.35 million bond request.
Whitefish High School: More space added as design is altered
Designs for the reconstruction of Whitefish High School have changed dramatically as the district moves from concept closer to reality.
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.
Bozeman firm to rebuild Whitefish High
Whitefish School District trustees decided Langlas and Associates had the edge over five other firms and named the Bozeman-based firm the general contractor and construction manager for the high school renovation and remodel project Tuesday.
Board OKs $3.3 million bond vote
Roughly 13,000 ballots were printed Wednesday and Kalispell voters now have to consider whether to support a $3.35 million elementary district bond request.
Artist known for oversized papier mache
The enormous, brightly colored papier maché toadstool mushroom caps all over Nancy Roberts’ dining room are not an unusual sight.
High school activities fund doesn't have negative balance
What was thought to be a negative balance in a Kalispell Public Schools student activities cash fund is not the case, according to administrators.
Marching orders: Camp molds musicians into synchronized group
The morning sun glints off the brass instruments of the Glacier High School marching band as students stride front to back and left to right.
Kalispell schools all eligible for Title I funding
For the first time, all schools in Kalispell Public Schools are eligible for Title I funding.
Little Free Library opens in Kalispell neighborhood
The concept is simple: Take a book, leave a book, and no renewals, fines or Dewey Decimal System searches.
Golf tournament will raise money for K9 Care of Montana
A Philipsburg-based nonprofit is turning to the Flathead Valley for support in its mission to provide service dogs to veterans.
Breastfeeding Coalition holds fair downtown
The purpose of the Flathead Valley Breastfeeding Coalition is not to convince people that breastfeeding is not inappropriate. It is, coalition member said, about making mothers aware of their legal rights.
A fix-up for Flathead
Businesses donate time, materials to facility needs
Local businesses are thinking outside the box when it comes to improvements for Flathead High School.
Task force wants to change accreditation standards
Student achievement may play a larger role in state accreditation standards if the Montana Board of Public Education approves recent revisions suggested by a special task force.
Teacher ready to spread word about space
NASA course gives Smith Valley educator access to lunar samples
Although NASA shuttles are grounded, Smith Valley School teacher Melissa Martin has learned firsthand that the space exploration program still has nowhere to go but up.
Aiming for the Olympics
Recent Glacier High School graduate Alana Townsend wants a shot at a spot on the U.S. Olympic shooting team.
Kalispell booster clubs split
The Flathead/Glacier Booster Club has split. The unanimous decision to separate into two clubs — made by the Flathead/Glacier Booster Club in the spring — is a move to boost membership, donations, ideas and interest in serving as board members.
Work hours expand for school employees
Kalispell Public Schools Superintendent Darlene Schottle says the budget for the 2012-13 school year is solid.
Fundraiser helps Montana's 'iconic' grizzlies
The grizzly bear is an iconic animal.
Catching mountain air in Whitefish
When Lacy and Jim Schneider of Kalispell wanted a unique way to celebrate their third anniversary, they took their love to a higher ground — 70 feet above the ground to be precise — on Whitefish Mountain Resort’s Walk in the Treetops.
Pair studies fragments of prehistory
When asked what they did over the summer, two Flathead High School alumni will be able to say they spent several weeks in China trying to piece together the prehistoric past using fragments of fossilized dinosaur eggs.
Middle school principal gets WFHS job
Kerry Drown is Whitefish High School’s new principal after a unanimous vote by the school board Tuesday.
Kalispell school board OKs energy audit
In an attempt to move forward with school improvements, particularly at Flathead High School, the Kalispell school board last month agreed to spend $59,858 to complete an investment grade energy audit.
Glacier the backdrop for climate lessons
Glacier National Park is the poster child for climate change, according to Melissa Sladek, science communications specialist for the Crown of the Continent Research Learning Center and National Park Service.
Administration shifted at C. Falls High
Columbia Falls High School will see a change in leadership next year.
Marion School addition two-thirds finished
The Marion School addition is on schedule to be completed before school starts Sept. 4.
Camp offers cancer patients a place to connect with family
For people diagnosed with cancer, there really isn’t a vacation from the disease. But camp For One Another provides a retreat away from hospital and doctors’ visits.
Science students to test the waters
Seventh-graders will test the waters this fall as part of Kalispell Middle School’s life science curriculum.
Board OKs $3.35 million school bond request
Kalispell Public Schools will ask elementary district voters for money to build eight elementary classrooms and a new central kitchen.
Carlson out as principal at Whitefish High School
A little more than a month after a huge public outcry saved his job, Dave Carlson has resigned as principal of Whitefish High School.