School Board Meeting Covers Policies, Programs, and Funding

The regular board meeting of Cascade Public Schools was held on Tuesday, November 19, at 6:00 p.m. Several significant topics were discussed, including the following:

Booster Club Funds

The board concluded old business with a motion to approve the recommendation to transfer the remaining Booster Club funds into the Pep Club account. Approximately $2,000 remained from the now-dissolved Booster Club, and it was proposed that these funds be moved to the Pep Club account for effective use.

During the discussion, some concerns were raised about this decision. Board member Ruth Mortag expressed her reservations, stating:

“If we don’t have the Booster Club, then there’s no other funding sources for some of these projects that they were doing. It is concerning to me that we would get ourselves in a bind by then saying, ‘Oh, we’ll just go with this other club or this other organization,’ which are not authorized by policy.”

The concern was that the funds might be needed if the Booster Club were to be reestablished after the transfer. It was noted, however, that the funds could be reallocated to the Booster Club in such a case.

The motion to approve the transfer of funds to the Pep Club account was seconded and passed, with one board member opposing.

Reviewing the Behavior Matrix

The first item of new business was a review of the school’s behavior matrices. Cascade Public Schools utilizes two separate behavior matrices—one for elementary students and another for secondary students. This distinction allows for age-appropriate disciplinary actions and recognizes differing levels of severity between younger and older students.

The behavior matrix outlines a range of disciplinary actions based on the severity and frequency of infractions. The board aimed to review the matrix for potential updates or actions.

During the public comment period, Dustin Ogden addressed the board, stating:

“[The behavior matrix] needs to be written so that there are no gray areas, and there are no [cases where it could be said], ‘Well, maybe I’ll give him a chance, maybe I won’t.’ It needs to be, ‘Here’s what you did, and here’s the consequence.’”

In response to parents’ concerns about this topic, the board announced a strategic planning meeting scheduled for December 3 at 6:00 p.m. This meeting, to be led by the Montana School Boards Association (MTSBA), was presented as an opportunity for parents to share their input on the school’s future direction.

Following further discussion, a motion was made to refer the issue to the policy committee. The motion was seconded and passed unanimously.

Extension of Cascade’s After-School Program

The second item of new business was the proposal to extend Cascade’s after-school program through the end of the 2024-2025 school year.

The program, formerly known as the XCELL program, has been entirely funded by Cascade Public Schools during the 2024 school year thus far. It had been previously agreed that if additional funding could not be secured by the end of December, the program would be discontinued. The new motion proposed extending the program through the end of the school year without interruption.

Superintendent Levi Collins stated that the program is currently subsidized by an elementary levy received last year. Additionally, he applied for a tutoring-based grant that, if approved, would fund certified staff and required materials for the program.

When asked about the program’s financial needs for the spring semester without grant funding, Karsen Floerchinger estimated costs at approximately $25,000 for staff salaries and another $25,000 for materials. The possibility of implementing a daily fee for participating students was also discussed to help cover expenses.

After deliberation, a motion was made and seconded to refer the matter to the finance committee. The motion passed.

Readers are encouraged to review the approved minutes of this board meeting in a future issue of The Cascade Courier, as this is only a brief summary. The next regular school board meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, December 17 at 6:00 p.m., and, as always, the public is welcome to attend.