Plains School Board earns statewide recognition

Plains School Board members have received statewide recognition from the Montana School Boards Association.  

School Board member Ellen Childress received the Marvin Heintz award for earning the highest level of individual certification in the Montana School Boards Association’s School Board Academy.  

Plains Public Schools received recognition for completion of the certification requirements by every member of the board of trustees in the Montana School Boards Association’s School Board Academy.  

The awards were presented at the October school board meeting. 

Board member Monica Weedman was acting board chair with the absence of Beau French. The meeting was called to order and the minutes, bills and warrants were approved. Public participation request was answered by several individuals in the audience.  

Karen Thorson from the Paradise Center, introduced herself and described the center’s work.  

“You may know us as visitor center, community center and art center, but we are working very hard to be an educational resource,” she said. “We are preserving the history of our area. Another thing that is important to us as an educational resource is we hope to have field trips for kids. There is no charge. We are open for special events.”  

Thorson spoke about upcoming events scheduled including several plays performed by the Paradise Players, and several musical performances over the winter and spring. 

“I know music is enjoyable. The music we bring in is also intended to be educational,” she said. 

Also addressing the board during public comment, Vicki Brown said she was concerned about school building security.  

“I am glad that you have installed recent safety measures here in Plains. However, there was a recent shooter threat in Superior High School. Luckily, someone reported the social media threat. I would like to see a few trained personnel work here,” she said.  

School Board member and Montana Highway Patrol Officer Steve Spurr said he would speak with Brown following the meeting. 

During the school superintendent report, Dr. Kathleen Walsh noted the option to hire a full-time English teacher. 

The board approved the hiring of Alexis Kunzer.  

Walsh continued, “I would be remiss if I did not thank Mr. B (Dwight Bowen) for the phenomenal job he did for us. You were there for the kids.”   

The school district has received funds from the Avista Foundation to help fund students in need and with classroom needs. Walsh thanked the McGowan Foundation for its donation of $5,949.  

“They are continuing to give us the ability to continue on those trips that you have, the classroom trips. That’s what we earmarked that for," she said. 

A new program is in the works that will help students learn more about growing their own food. Fruit trees will be planted a greenhouse will be utilized. 

Plains School Elementary staff members Ronda Leeper, Jill Rice, Cindy Gumm, Erin Miller and Michelle Greer have received grants of up to $500 for their classrooms.  

Principle Keven Meredith commented that the student population was up to 401 pupils. 

Under new business, McGowan Foundation member Kathy Gregg spoke about how the foundation came to be starting back when the McGowan family first arrived in the valley.  

Gregg read from a prepared statement. 

“Colonel James A. McGowan was born in Malone, New York, on March 5, 1852. After graduating from Wesleyan Seminary in Wisconsin in 1868, he spent more than a decade working in the lumber and mercantile businesses and then became a railroad contractor. It was his job with the railroad that brought him to Wild Horse Plains, Montana, in 1882. He became the first farmer in this valley and brought the first farming equipment into the area. Two years later, he went into partnership with Neptune Lynch, on whose ranch the town was actually founded, and he immediately landed an annual contract to supply the railroad with milk. McGowan quickly assumed control of the mercantile business partnership which sold a variety of items for mining, agriculture and daily living and was the predecessor to our current McGowan Commercial Company. He eventually expanded his influence throughout the community. By the time of his death in 1911, J A McGowan also controlled the butcher shop, the blacksmith shop, the livery stable, the hotel, the newspaper, the electric light and heating plant, and the Plains water company. He was also founder and president of The First National Bank of Plains, and he owned the largest grain farm in the valley. 

“When Colonel McGowan passed away, a section of his will put 40 shares of his stock of the bank into a Trust with local banker E. L. Johnson as Trustee. The income of the stock was to be used at the Trustee’s discretion ‘for the benefit of such churches and schools at the town of Plains in such manner as in his judgment shall be most conducive to the improvement of the morals of said community and the education of the children thereof.’  When the estate was finally settled nine years later, the trust immediately received the dividends of $4,000 that had accumulated over the course of the probate process. During these same years, Plains experienced the tragic drowning of several children in the nearby river and there was much discussion about needing a swimming pool. The school was about to construct a new gymnasium and, after consulting with the architect, Johnson used the accumulated dividend income to fully fund the building of a pool in the basement of the new gymnasium. (Old School) 

Over the years, dividend income was distributed to the school for playground equipment, the current athletic field, band instruments, uniforms, ski equipment for students to use, the first radio set ever seen or heard in Plains, and other needed equipment. The churches received funds for pianos and organs, heating plants, pews, altar furnishings, projectors, and major building improvements. E L Johnson felt strongly that the trust money should not be used to pay operating expenses but instead should finance special items and programs that would not otherwise be possible within the budgets.” 

The meeting continued with new business, with the board approving the energy performance contract with Ameresco, an amendment to the current bus routes and the out-of-district attendance agreements.

The Fiscal Year audit proposals were tabled because of the two missing board members. 

The board voted to accept the 21st Century Grant Afterschool Program staff hires Sandra Jirasko and Trystan Larsen. Three new substitute staff members, Cindy Gumm, Ricki Kulawinski and Llona Khachaturova were approved. The hiring of Trista brown was not approved and may be addressed in another board meeting.

    Substitute teacher Dwight Bowen receives recognition for his help filling an empty teaching position in Plains. (Tracy Scott/Valley Press)
  

    McGowan Foundation member Kathy Gregg speaks about the McGowan family's arrival in the Plains area. (Tracy Scott/Valley Press)