Bullock, Juneau visit Libby schools

Montana Gov. Steve Bullock and superintendent of public instruction Denise Juneau were in Libby Monday to get a hands-on look at the partnership between Libby Public Schools and Kootenai Valley Head Start. The program, funded by a state grant, aims to improve the quality of early education in the Libby area and is being looked at as a model of cooperation for other school districts and early education programs to follow.

The program targets the at-risk children in the Libby area, combining Head Start and a fully funded pre-school to help those children hit the ground running when they begin kindergarten.

“They learn so fast and so much,” said Libby schools superintendent Craig Barringer. “People think preschool is just play-time, but everything they do has a purpose.”

Before moving into the classrooms at the Plummer School, the governor and superintendent met with several educators from both the school district and the Head Start program about the early successes of the program.

“How do you explain the magic that’s happening here?” The governor asked the assembled participants.

Superintendent Juneau praised the efforts of the partnership and said the work being done in Libby could serve as a model for cooperation that could be emulated by other school districts around the state.

The state officials then visited two classrooms. Superintendent Juneau immediately engaged a class of children by reading to them, while Gov. Bullock attempted to explain the role of a governor to the youngsters.

After leaving Plummer, the group went to Libby High School to meet with students and educators to discuss the new Lincoln Charter School of Innovation program.