Polson trustees reconfigure elementary schools

POLSON — After more than two and a half hours of public comment at a special meeting May 29, Polson School Board members voted unanimously to reconfigure the district's elementary schools for the upcoming 2007-08 school year.

Cherry Valley Elementary will house pre-school, kindergarten and first grade; Linderman Elementary will take care of second, third and fourth grades.

At that same meeting, the trustees also unanimously approved full time kindergarten.

The special meeting was quickly called after the state legislature approved funding for all-day kindergarten. School districts were required to notify the Montana Office of Public Instruction of their intent to offer full time kindergarten, and their need for that special funding, by June 1.

An earlier special meeting was held on May 23, during which trustees talked about how to best accommodate full time kindergarten.

Almost 200 parents, teachers, school staff and administrators attended the May 29 meeting, and many of them requested that the board postpone their school-reconfiguring decision to allow more time for discussion.

Many felt that the trustees' reconfiguring decision was too fast and too sudden.

In a press release, district officials said that while they know that change is often hard, they'll do everything they can to help families, students, staff and administrators handle the move.

In August, students will have an opportunity to visit their schools, teachers and classrooms. Also, the district will be contacting families by mail about enrolling in full time kindergarten and about the new school situation.