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Bigfork trustees approve replacement battery back-ups, accept donations and personnel recommendations
Summary
At their Jan. 14 meeting, Bigfork School District trustees approved purchase of new battery backups after a December power loss, accepted several donations and personnel recommendations via the consent agenda, heard positive special education audit results and set maintenance priorities for February.
The Board of Trustees of Bigfork Elementary School and Bigfork High School met Jan. 14 in the high school library and unanimously approved a package of routine and operational items, including purchase of replacement battery back-ups after a recent power loss.
Superintendent Tom Stack told trustees the district's battery back-ups are seven years old and that a December campus power outage hindered access to student information systems, including Brightarrow, a parent messaging program. ‘‘We lost access to critical systems during that event,’’ Stack said, and recommended replacing the aging units. Trustee Mac Kirk moved to approve the purchase; Trustee Julie Kreiman seconded and the motion passed by unanimous vote of the elementary and high school trustees.
The board also approved the consent agenda, which included the Dec. 10, 2025 board minutes, bill approval lists, December student activity reports and several donations: $1,500 from the Woodhouse Family Foundation for cross country; $8,160 from George and Joni Young to support a student senior project; $1,500 from the Booster Club for band; and a $2,000 art grant donation from John and Ann Taylor. The consent agenda contained an insurance claim settlement (details not specified) and personnel items: two substitute teacher hires (Carin Baer, 6–12; Rachel Hamilton, K–8) and an extracurricular volunteer (Craig McGillvray for 5th grade girls basketball). Offers were noted as contingent on satisfactory background checks and any required pre-employment screening.
In reports to the board, High School Principal Mark Hansen congratulated Student Council Representative Nic Gustavson on his acceptance to the U.S. Naval Academy and summarized testing, semester finals, WIN time, CTE offerings and ACT/Pre-ACT score highlights. Elementary Principal Brenda Clarke said elementary staff are emphasizing writing instruction and will conduct a reading curriculum review; she also raised crosswalk safety concerns at the lower playground and discussed plans to improve student and staff pedestrian safety.
Special Education Director and Activities Director Matt Porrovecchio reported that the OPI special education audit ‘‘went well’’ and thanked staff; Chair Paul Sandry asked Porrovecchio to prepare a more detailed special education report for the board, and asked Clarke to provide a data report for trustees. Superintendent Stack said he would deliver a list of proposed maintenance projects by February, calling out the high school gym bleachers as an item to be addressed.
Trustees confirmed upcoming meeting dates (Feb. 11; Feb. 18 workshop; Mar. 11; Apr. 8). A motion to adjourn was made and approved unanimously; the meeting ended at 5:27 p.m.
