Canyon school to remain open one more year

Canyon Elementary will remain open for one more school year, but with a reduction of programs.

The District 6 School Board Monday unanimously voted to keep Canyon Elementary in Hungry Horse open next year by cutting services, but close the school entirely the following year if enrollment and funding does not change.

Some board members said this was the best possible solution.

"The rule of thumb we've used for reduction is the less negative impact to students," said board member Barb Riley.

Keeping the school open for one more year will allow for a transition team to prepare students and parents for the change.

"It was not an easy decision for me to come to, to keep it open for one more year," said board member Larry Wilson. "We could have saved more money (if the school closed sooner), but it seemed too fast for a transition for students."

Facing an almost $300,000 projected shortfall in the elementary district next school year, the board of trustees began examining closing Canyon Elementary earlier this year. After hearing protests from parents and friends of the school, however, the board began considering a plan that would reduce staff and programs at Canyon and the other elementary schools.

Preliminary plans include creating combined classes at Canyon and eliminating one teacher position. Class sizes would range from 15-22 students under the plan. Also the principal position would likely be eliminated and replaced by a head teacher position. A paraeducator position, the librarian and a part-time custodial position would also be cut. The music program is also part of the cuts planned.

Additional savings in the elementary district would come from a moratorium on paraeducator hiring and eliminating one teaching position from Ruder Elementary, which would likely come through attrition. No changes are planned for the junior high.

Board member Dean Chisholm made the motion to keep the school open with reduced services in an effort to preserve all the schools.

"The entire elementary won't benefit if we don't close Canyon, but they won't suffer as they would have if we hadn't limited services," he said.

After next school year, Canyon's roughly 90 students would be bused to Glacier Gateway and Ruder in Columbia Falls. Canyon's enrollment has continued to drop since the early 1990s. The school costs almost $1 million to operate, or about $10,000 per student. Compared to the roughly $6,000 per student to operate Glacier Gateway and Ruder, which have higher enrollment.

School funding is based largely on enrollment numbers and school officials, right now, predict that enrollment will continue to drop. As that happens, funding will continue to drop also.

A change in the state funding or enrollment could mean a reprieve for Canyon after next year. A vote now to close Canyon does not tie future school boards to that decision, the board noted.

Wilson said the board has done everything possible to keep Canyon open.

"If something changes we would keep it open, but the long-term doesn't look very good to keep that school open," he said.

The board also:

• Approved two resignations: Dan Fairbank, freshman football coach, and Karen Crowe, Special Olympics coach.

• Approved two retirements: Richard Thompson, fifth grade Ruder teacher, and Ellenjoy Hoerner, high school English teacher.