Changes in store at Libby schools

By GWEN ALBERS Western News Reporter

The reopening of Libby Public Schools on Wednesday, Aug. 30, will mean changes within two buildings.

Fourth-grade classes will be moved to Libby Middle School from Asa Wood Elementary. Kindergarten classes will be relocated to Asa Wood from Plummer Center.

The school board in February approved the moves after parent/community meetings.

The change was made because kindergarten is tied to the lower elementary curriculum along with first through third grades, Superintendent Kirby Maki said. Fourth grade is more closely associated with grades five and six.

At the middle school, fourth-graders will be in the same pod as the fifth-graders.

"Last spring, they (fourth-graders) had orientation, a chance to tour the middle school," Maki said.

Moving from the elementary school to the middle school will provide more opportunities in the areas of health, physical education and technology. No extra teachers will be needed for the transition.

Kindergarten has been housed at Plummer Elementary along with the pre-school and Head Start programs. Pre-school will remain at Plummer with Head Start.

The changes are in part due to declining enrollment, particularly in the lower grades. The student count across the district is down about 75 from last year, and another 50 to 60 students are expected to be lost each year for the next several years.

Libby expects to have about 1,350 students for opening day, Maki said.

"We will be holding steady," he said. "We do have some new students. We have new employees at the hospital and they have school-age kids."

In other matters, Libby will welcome high school art teacher Patty Rambo and middle school special education teacher, Leah Lemoine. Rambo replaces Joan Kallay, who resigned to teach in Columbia Falls after one year in Libby.

The new roof on the middle school gymnasium has been completed. The exterior and interior of the middle school have been painted, and an irrigation system has been installed for the football field.

The outside of the high school was painted and the back parking lot was fixed and paved.

Asa Wood has new blacktop for its playground.