05/08/07 Schottle to Conrad/StarlingSUPERINTENDENT
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KALISPELL PUBLIC SCHOOLS
233 lst Ave. East - Kalispell, Montana 39901
May 8, 2007
Mr. Sean Conrad
City of Kalispell Planning Department
17 Second Street East, Suite 211
Kalispell, MT 59901
Re: Proposed Starling Development
Dear Mr. Conrad:
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I apologize for being a day late in responding to your request for information
regarding the Starling development project.
I have met with representatives from the Aspen Group and the superintendent of
West Valley elementary district on a couple of occasions. This development
group was willing to work with the school districts to provide acreage necessary
for an elementary or middle school. They were not able to provide direct financial
compensation for the construction of a school site, but were most willing to
discuss how we might collaborate on a building project, accesses, joint use
facilities or a direct offer of acreage.
West Valley District does have concerns regarding their ability to be able to have
bond capacity to build a K-8 site. School District 5 would have the bonding
capacity to build an additional elementary site, but obviously a vote of approval by
our community is necessary to pass a building bond. If the development were in
the School District 5 Elementary District we would be able to absorb the growth
for at least the first stage of development. We would be willing to enter into
discussion with West Valley on how we might be able to work with them on
student educational services.
Flathead High School District has the original capacity to absorb growth at the
Glacier High School for this initial development. It might be necessary, at some
point, to add on to GHS, but we did plan for this scenario in our design plans.
Once again, however, the funds to provide the expansion of the high school would
require a bond that would need to be approved by the voters of this community.
Please feel free to call me with any further questions you may have regarding my
conversation with the Aspen Group.
Since
Darlene Schottle, Ed.D.,
Superintendent of Schools