Show students in High School their education is valued

I am writing to explain why I strongly believe we should pass the Bigfork High School Bond.

I worked for almost 20 years as the high school janitor and saw, firsthand, the deterioration of the current building. I partially retired in May so my knowledge of the condition is recent.

The main part of the high school was built in 1965 with the gym being added in 1968. The south wing was built in 1978 and the foyer expanded in 2008. This puts the age of the classroom portion of the school between 50 and 37 years old. There have been only patch and pray repairs in the years I was on staff. Think of your home and the repairs needed over the years and you can see the problem. The flat roof, not the best design for a harsh winter environment, has been patched repeatedly. Every year, seriously, every year, it leaks.

While cleaning the school I saw windows that did not seal, floors settling and cracking, no fire suppression system, and ceilings that leak after a heavy snow or windy rain. I don’t mean small drops but puddles. Ceiling tiles have collapsed from the weight of the water. A grant replaced the windows on the west side of the south wing two years ago. The remaining windows are the originals and well past their prime. Seals are broken, latches rusted and cold air and wind comes in throughout the winter. Some classrooms resort to using plastic bags taped over the windows to keep out the cold.

The gym renovation has raised a lot of eyebrows. The simple truth f the matter is the ramp leading into the gym is dangerously out of code compliance. I have personally witnessed one person fall and break her wrist and a young man slide after a tumble and split his forearm open enough to require stitches. The angle is too steep and the only two options are to raise the school or lower the gym floor. The far less expensive way is to lower the floor. Below the current floor is a crawl space and the wood on the floor would have to be replaced next year due to wear. Since the north wall would be compromised moving it back and adding more bleachers is a rational solution. Anyone who has gone to a home game knows the need for additional seating is not a luxury. This would also allow our teams to play semi-finals and championship games on their home turf. Good for the team, good for the school.

The teaching staff at Bigfork has done an amazing job under difficult conditions. A science lab that looks like it comes straight out of an old Jerry Lewis professor movie. No windows, little air current without the fan that is loud and difficult to talk over and the classroom adjoining without windows at all. A special needs classroom that was once a storage room for the library. Another room too small to even have a full size desk and two chairs used over the last few years as an office, a detention space and now, once again, an office to help students work toward college.

A number of community members I have spoken to or have written to the papers refer to past problems with superintendents long retired or, what they regard as misspent funds. That is history. I have great respect for the current administration and the new board. I believe they honestly ant the best for the school and the students. We cannot change the past but we can give the board the monies to improve the future.

Many in the community feel they already put their children through school so their job is done. They feel paying for someone else’s’ child is not their burden. I do not have children but I understand that someone paid for me and helped your child get through school. Paying it forward is the right thing to do. The number of $13.8 million is daunting in its total but the cost per household is surprisingly small. A home in the $200,000 range has a cost of $5.80 per month on the tax bill. A home worth $300,000 will add $8.69 per month. We are actually looking at one less latte per month. Is that really too high a cost to ensure the next generation gets the education they need in a safe environment?

In closing I want to point out our little school has the highest test scores and graduation rate in the Flathead. That speaks to the excellent job our teachers do in a challenging environment. There is now a waiting list for out of district students who want to come to Bigfork. This is the high regard in which our school is held. With a safe and expanded campus these paying students could be accommodated. We owe it to the students currently at Bigfork to show them the adults in this community value education and their futures.

—Roseanne (Rocky) Feckete, Bigfork