Day care a draw for school district

Room 133 is not like Bigfork Elementary School's other rooms. In the place of desks and tables it has playpens, and the children in the room don't get report cards or have homework.

That's because room 133 is an independently run day care for school staff members.

The program began seven years ago, when three Bigfork teachers were pregnant at the same time, Principal Jackie Boshka said.

"They were all teachers we really wanted to keep," Boshka said. "We started saying, 'What if…?' Everyone thought it was a good idea."

Superintendent Russ Kinzer approved. All the school district provides is the space.

The parents pay for it and day care director Beth Stewart runs it just like she would any other day care.

The difference, however, is that parents know their kids are just down the hall and can pay them visits during lunch and breaks during the day. The day care is run through normal school hours and is closed on non-school days.

"I'm really proud of it," Boshka said. "It's one of the first things I show off about the school. It's been nothing but positive."

Special education teacher Karly Wisher was one of those three pregnant teachers. As she began searching for a day care, she ran into problems.

At many she would have had to pay for care throughout the summer to hold her child's spot, even though it wasn't needed then. She offered to do some of the leg work in setting up the day care.

That was in the spring of 2003. Now all four of her children have been through the day care.

For Wisher, who lives in Kalispell, the clear advantage is that it's one less step in the morning and at night as she goes through her day.

She just loads up the kids and they come with her to school.

It's comforting for Wisher who knows she can walk down the hall and check on them and visit with them.

And its a great draw for the school as an employer, she said, as she wouldn't be able to have that at if she were in another district.

"I wouldn't change it," Wisher said. "I wish other people would catch on."

Some teachers have even been able to nurse their children while working and having them in the day care.

"Now there's a waiting list," Boshka said. "It saves teachers a lot of time and is a lot less stressful when they have things to do at school."

Right now Stewart and her staff of two care for 14 children of eight staff members. The kids range in age from a little under a year to kindergarten.

"What Jackie [Boshka] always says is 'Happy parents make happy teachers,'" Stewart said.

The children are also learning — they follow the calendar and the weather, read stories, do art projects, dance to music and go on walks.

The other staff members in the school know them and know their names, which provides an added sense of community as they grow up, Wisher said.

"They've been an extended family for them," Wisher said. "They're sort of growing up here like the rest of the kids."

The remodel and expansion at the elementary school has been a plus for the day care, which now has its own fenced-off outdoor play area right outside the room with a window caretakers can watch from.

Running her day care out of the school has the same benefits for Stewart.

Now she gets to see her children throughout the day too who are in eighth, sixth and fourth grade.

Prior to running the Bigfork School Staff Day Care, Stewart had at least 10 years of day care experience before she was approached about the position. This is Stewart's second year as director.

"We have a good program and I'm glad to say that," Stewart said. "I think most schools should do it. It's a great thing."

Stewart is aware of only one or two other schools in the state that may have similar programs, and they got their idea from Bigfork, making the school a bit of a pioneer, she said.

"Other schools and other districts call and they're shocked that all we do is provide the space," Boshka said.