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Big Sky High dean outlines attendance, discipline and nine mandated drills this year
Summary
Walt Serba, dean of students at Big Sky High, told a student‑production segment he expects to handle 70–90 attendance calls daily, that 10–15% may be unexcused absences, and that the superintendent mandated nine drills this year including fire and lockdown exercises.
In an interview on a student program, Walt Serba, dean of students at Big Sky High School, described his duties, attendance levels and emergency‑drill plans for the year. Serba said he speaks with roughly “approximately 70, 90 students, a day on attendance discipline” and estimated that “10 to 15%” of those are true unexcused absences.
Serba told student interviewers he patrols hallways and parking lots to deter vandalism and theft, communicates with parents and attends school events. Reflecting on the school’s opening, he said decorations remained up longer than in prior years and noted that, for the first time since the school opened, “we have not had a fight on school grounds or within the building” entering the third week.
On mandated safety drills, Serba said the superintendent required nine drills this year: “7 of them will be probably fire drills… plus we also have an extra 1 where we have to evacuate the building and go towards a site… we could have a scenario where we would pretend that there is a hazardous spill out in the teacher's parking lot.” He said the lockdown‑type drill used in the previous year would likely occur again.
Serba credited staff presence in hallways with reducing disorder and said work with parents and teachers contributed to a calmer opening. The segment did not present districtwide comparative data or external evaluations; Serba’s statements were offered as descriptions of school practice and experience.
