Bigfork school board signs off on Swan River cooperative agreement

The Bigfork Public Schools Board of Trustees signed off on a new cooperative sports and activities agreement with Swan River School during their Aug. 20 meeting.  

In an effort to create opportunities for seventh and eighth grade football, track and cross country at Swan River, Bigfork covers the costs to operate those programs with the condition that Swan River allows three members of their staff to coach at Bigfork per year, no more than two a season. Contention was how many days of paid absence Swan River teachers would receive for coaching at Bigfork; a previous draft of the agreement granted eight days but was whittled down to six this year.  

“It will be fine, we’ll monitor it, and if there’s any issues, we’ll have to reevaluate next year,” athletic director Matt Porrovecchio said.  

The option of an honors diploma for Bigfork High School students passed on its second reading and will go into effect for the Class of 2027 and beyond. The diploma requires four units each of English and math and three of science on top of standard diploma requirements. Valedictorians and salutatorians will come from the honors diploma after the next two years’ classes graduate.  

The board approved the recommended 2024-25 total budgets of $7,342,943.97 for the elementary school and $6,510,961.91 for the high school. Both are up over $200,000 from last year, with changes largely coming from technology and bus depreciation.  

“Bus depreciation is based on what we currently own, and we’ve added to our fleet, and we’ve added expensive buses like the electric bus to our fleet,” business manager Lacey Porrovecchio explained.  

The board previously approved the sale of two vans, one older van sold for $2,400 and a 15-passenger van did not sell. Athletic director Porrovecchio and superintendent Tom Stack have decided to repurpose the remaining van as an equipment storage and transportation vehicle for soccer gear.  

“It won’t be for transporting kids, and that was our concern before,” Stack said.  

The board also approved the apportionment of ending cash balances for the elementary and high school, which will be submitted to the county. Changes to the district’s student handbooks bullying policy were made clarifying the disciplinary process and providing a definition for bullying. The board approved updating the high school’s precalculus curriculum. 

As school starts Aug. 28, projects such as lighting and tiling are wrapping up, only the stairs at the south end of the elementary school were delayed by a hit pipe, set to be poured Friday.  

The next school board meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, Sept. 11.