School district seeks additional feedback on expansion planning

Whitefish School District will hold its second community engagement meeting on Wednesday, Dec. 14 at 6 p.m. at the Whitefish High School cafeteria to continue discussions about the growth and expansion needs of Whitefish High School and its activities complex.

“Insights and feedback from our staff and community in this process so far have been valuable,” said Superintendent Dave Means. “We appreciate the community's input as we address the current capacity of the high school while anticipating the next twenty years of growth.”

Recommendations from the 2021 Long Range Facility Plan identified significant growth and critical needs of the high school as the top priority. The 600-student capacity at Whitefish High School is now nearly met and expected enrollment will continue to move beyond the current capacity.

A variety of designs and concepts will be presented at the meeting as the district investigates the needs of the school and whether to seek a potential bond. Top priorities include expanding Career Technical Education programs to better prepare students for the workforce and career opportunities. The district has also identified the need to expand the Independent High School in order to grow its offerings.

“Hands-on experience in building trades, culinary arts, agriculture and biotechnical fields will better position our students for the future,” added Means. “These opportunities will also help support our community with local internships and other career opportunities.”

An expansion of the high school will also improve safety and security by reducing student travel to classes currently being held in other buildings. Due to limited space, the high school is currently using six classrooms outside of the main high school building.

The high school is also in need of expanded activities facilities in order to host sports on the school campus with a new athletic complex. Whitefish High School is one of the few Class A schools in the state without many of its own athletic fields. Over the past decade, participation in sports has grown by 25% with more than 500 students currently participating. Many teams only have limited access to onsite practices and games.

The community meeting will be held in the Whitefish High School cafeteria. It will also be available online for participation and the ability to provide feedback to the district.

For more detailed information on the growth in Whitefish Schools, visit the “WHS Expansion Needs” section of the school district website (whitefishschools.org) or the main webpage of each school. The meeting link will be posted on the Whitefish School District website the day of the meeting.