School board talks high school expansion timelines, mental health grant

Whitefish School District’s goal to start construction on the athletic portion of the Whitefish High School expansion in June -- dubbed the “fast track” plan -- could be pushed to March 2026.  

Martel Construction Inc., which has done the district’s last two major projects, was selected by the school board as general contractor at the beginning of April.  

Martel is now working with Tell Construction and A&E Design to construct the athletic project, including a new track, football field and grandstands, as well as a $26.5 million academic expansion for classrooms and multipurpose facilities.   

"As things have evolved over the past week or so with design and pricing, Martel has jumped in and provided some early estimates,” said Tell Construction Advisor’s Luke Hammond, owner’s representative for the projects, at the Whitefish School District board meeting April 8.  

“We're still evaluating whether it's a possibility to start [the athletic portion] in June, and we just want to make sure we have a confident decision that's a good path forward,” he said. 

Hammond said they have a lot of moving parts and need to mitigate risk before acting quickly.  

If the athletic project does not start in June, it is likely it will begin in March 2026 due to athletic scheduling and weather. For example, practice fields must be available for use in the fall, while the new track will require certain temperatures and precise measurements.  

The academic portion requires more extensive designing and permitting than the athletic portion and has an early target of March 2026. The athletic and academic portions are not necessarily sequential and can be worked on at the same time.  

When choosing contractors and making bids, and generally “getting the most value for your dollar,” it is advantageous to have more time, said Shane Jacobs, architect and project manager from A&E Design. 

“The bidding environment for civil contractors is really a January and February game,” he said. “You see a graduated escalation over the year as contractors fill up their schedules.” 

He said there are other pros and cons to starting the athletic portion this year.  

“You can get out there now, it's never going to be as cheap as it is today,” he said. “But also, let's evaluate where our risks are for tariffs and those kinds of things, and make sure we have a really bulletproof plan, as we want to be good stewards, especially working with public money.”  

For designing, Jacobs said that they have had quick progress informed by multiple design coordination meetings and a student workshop.  

“It’s interesting to walk in the shoes of people who are learning in this environment,” Jacobs said. “To see the parallels of what is liked and not liked about the building is good. It was also fun to just talk about how the built environment can reflect the natural.” 

A cohesive campus and maintaining culture were two of the design goals discussed.  

“We looked at interior and exterior circulation, where the heart of the school is,” Jacobs said. “What are the different modes that it’s in, whether it’s a traditional education environment or activities? And then where are those things happening now, in terms of these pathways?” 

These pathways are referring to not the physical building – although there was discussion of hallways, common areas and administration as points of connectivity – but rather, career pathways.  

Those career pathways, to be supported by the new educational spaces, include hospitality, agriculture and natural resources, health care and biomedical sciences, entrepreneurship and business, and design and construction. 

ALSO on the board’s agenda was an approval to begin coordinating a $37,000 wellness and mental health grant this spring thanks to a partnership with the Nate Chute Foundation.  

“This project will equip Whitefish schools and the community with practices and resources to manage stress, build resilience and foster connections,” said Superintendent Dave Means. 

The district plans to facilitate instructor and staff training to do so. Some of the training will occur during school hours as well as optional coursework offered outside of regular hours.   

Trustee Quincy Bennetts said that she sees “incredible value” in the grant but asked what resources it takes from the district.  

“It doesn’t really,” Means responded. “Because it fits [Nate Chute’s] mission well. I am excited to work with them because they are focused on this already. This isn’t just equipping staff, but the whole community with resources for mental health.”