Viking View

Rumor Mill: I have been asked a lot about school starting on time. There seems to be a rumor going around that the first day is going to be delayed. That is NOT true. School will start on time. There will most likely still be some construction happening but crews will work around the school days and our schedule. The first day of school is Aug. 22.

Question of the Week: How is the new HVAC system being paid for?

The new HVAC system that is being installed into the elementary and high school buildings is being paid for in several different ways. The first funding mechanism is from the CARES ACT/ESSER money that the school received for COVID. That money was distributed in 3 rounds so the first round was spent to keep all staff employed with no cuts. The second round was spent maintaining staff and for the HVAC project. The 3rd round was used to support learning loss and the balance set aside for the HVAC. Near that time we started conversations with Ameresco, a company which specializes in DEQ programs on energy cost savings. After they did energy efficiency studies of our current system, they gave us projected savings if we installed a newer electric HVAC system. Their proposal was to use electricity rather than fuel oil and steam heat. The estimate cost for the project was $2,413,000. With the projected savings the district secured a loan for $1,040,000 with Glacier Bank and entered into a contract with Ameresco. The cost savings for updating to the new system will pay back the loan at no extra cost to the district. If the cost savings is not enough then it falls on Ameresco for the difference, not the school. The use of CARES ACT/ESSER money along with money committed from our Impact Aid fund will make up for the balance of the project costs. When completed, the elementary and high school will have a new system with heat as well as air conditioning. The junior high building will still run on fuel oil as the cost to do all 3 buildings was too much for the money we had available. That being said, we are pursuing a grant with the Department of Energy to install a new system in the junior high. Our proposal made the final cut. Out of over 1000 applications, Charlo School District 7J was 1 of 24 entities who are now in negotiations and budget justifications with the DOE before finding out if we will be awarded the amount to update the junior high. The projected cost of a new HVAC in the junior high is $1,200,000. The negotiations stage takes up to 90 days and we do not expect a final answer until November. The bottom line is that despite enrollment loss and a decrease in funding the school district has worked hard at balancing staffing issues with facilities when it comes to spending money. In my opinion, we have maintained a quality staff paying competitive wages while at the same time keeping up with facility improvements. No doubt there is a lot of work left to do and it’s getting more challenging all the time. We will keep working to find ways to do what’s best for students. I really appreciate the questions and conversations about Charlo’s situation in public education in Montana these days given the loss of enrollment, teacher shortage, changes that the legislature has made, and other issues we are facing.

CSKT Welcome Back: CSKT Tribal Education once again sponsoring a welcome back night at area schools. There will be school supplies given away as well as free books. Walking tacos will be served too! Join us on Aug. 10 from 4-7 PM at the gym.

Athlete/Parent Meeting: At 7 PM on Aug. 10 there will be a meeting for grades 6-12 athletes in the main gym. Coaches will meet with their players and be there to help parents get the proper paperwork completed.

WE STILL NEED TO FILL SOME POSITIONS:

Assistant Cook Position: Charlo has an Assistant Cook position open for the 2023-2024 school year. This a full time position during the school year which begins approximately Aug. 20 for employees. Charlo will be on a 4 day per week schedule: Mon-Thu. All applicants should like kids and working in a school setting. Applicants must have a HS Diploma or GED, must pass a fingerprint background check, and be motivated to be a team player. Wages DOE. Health insurance benefits, retirement, sick leave, and vacation leave are all provided by the School District. In order to apply all interested applicants should complete a District Application which can be found at http://charlo.k12.mt.us/. An application can also be requested by calling 644-2206. Any questions can be directed to Steve Love, Superintendent by calling 644-2206 ext 230 or emailing [email protected].

Coaching Positions Available: Charlo Schools has the following coaching positions open for the 2023-2024 school year: 2 Junior High Girls Basketball, and 1 Junior High Boys Basketball. All applicants should like kids and working in a school setting. Applicants must have a HS Diploma or GED, must pass a fingerprint background check, and be motivated to be a team player. Wages DOE. Health insurance benefits, retirement, sick leave, and vacation leave are all provided by the School District. In order to apply all interested applicants should complete a District Application which can be found at http://charlo.k12.mt.us/. An application can also be requested by calling 644-2206. Any questions can be directed to Steve Love, Superintendent by calling 644-2206 ext 230 or emailing [email protected].

Sports Physicals: HS Sports begin Aug. 11, 2023. As in recent years, St. Luke Community Healthcare will donate $25 from each Well Child Check (with a sports physical) performed in the summer of 2023 to a student’s school athletic association or booster club. Last year, St. Luke performed 376 well child checks with sports physicals for local athletes and donated $9,400 to local schools districts in 2022. Appointments for well child checks can be made by calling any of our community clinics listed below. If you have any questions, please contact Whitney Liegakos, St. Luke PR Manager, at 406- 528-5262 or at [email protected].

Admission Price Increases: As all of you know the cost of doing business keeps rising in all areas and athletics is no exception. Paying for referees, game administration, custodians, and other overhead costs can be over $1000 for a night for a high school basketball game. In order to combat some of those expenses some changes were made to admission prices and annual passes for extra-curricular activities this coming school year. It has been over 10 years since admission fees have been raised and we hope that everyone understands the District’s position with keeping things running for our students. For 2023-2024 the following prices will

Annual Athletic Passes will be $70 for an adult, $55 for a student, and $165 for a family of five. There will no longer be a list of names for those purchasing a pass. Spectators will have to present their pass or a photo of it on their phone at each event. Every spectator must check in at the ticket booth at each contest. This will help our ticket takers out immensely. Too many spectators take advantage of our ticket takers then do not pay. Some just walk by assuming the ticket taker knows them or knows they have a pass.

There are also increases for participation fees. These fees help to offset costs for hotels, meals, and other expenses for athletic seasons. High School athletes will be charged $50/sport and Junior High athletes will be charged $40/sport. These fees must be paid before the second athletic contest of the season. If an athlete has trouble with paying the fee he/she will need to discuss options with their coach and the administration.

Calendar

• Parent/Coaches Meeting Aug. 10 @ 7 PM
• HS Sports Begin Aug. 11
• School Board Meeting Aug. 15 @ 8 PM
• School Begins Aug. 22