Perkins County Schools board reviews transportation survey, approves contracts and personnel changes at February meeting
The Perkins County Schools board worked through a full agenda at its recent meeting on Monday, Feb. 16, including approving bills, hearing administrative reports, and taking several key personnel actions.
Financial Reports
Financial reports highlighted during the meeting showed the district’s expenses are tracking close to 50 percent at mid-year, with major outlays this month including two new transportation vans, warming cabinets for each kitchen, new library furniture, exterior doors at the elementary, an ice maker at the elementary, and HVAC repairs. Despite these costs, the district remains ahead of projections on both revenue and expenditures, according to Superintendent Mark Jolliffe.
Busing Survey
Part of the meeting centered on Superintendent Jolliffe announcing results from a recent rural transportation phone survey conducted to gauge rural patrons’ busing needs and preferences.
Conducted with 49 of 55 rural families (six families could not be reached), the survey showed the following:
• 30 families said they would prefer door-to-door service.
• 18 families indicated no strong preference between the current hub drop-offs and door-to-door.
• One family specifically preferred to continue using the hub drop-offs.
Regarding ride time, the survey showed the following:
• Eight families expressed concern about longer time on a bus or van.
• 41 families said they were not concerned about additional time for their child on the bus.
Current and projected use showed:
• 16 families currently use after-school district transportation at hub drop-offs.
• 33 families do not currently use it.
• 26 families said they would anticipate using transportation in the future if it were available door-to-door.
• 23 families said they do not anticipate using it, often because of older students driving or parents already commuting to town for work.
Demographics of the survey were as follows:
• 14 families surveyed had students under the age of five; only one of those would be affected by proposed future choices regarding transportation.
The district’s next steps will include administration and members of the transportation committee mapping routes, studying costs, and exploring staffing options for additional vans, with a goal of bringing a recommendation to the board this spring.
ESU 16 Contracts
The board approved two major contracts with Educational Service Unit 16 including the main ESU 16 services contract in the amount of $359,159, and a separate Mental Wellness Team contract in the amount of $90,882.
Administrators highlighted growing mental health needs in the district, with school leaders praising the services provided by ESU 16. Administrators stated that counselors and mental health staff have been heavily engaged with students.
Jolliffe explained that the overall ESU services total is slightly lower than last year, even though the early childhood/early intervention line increased, reflecting a higher number of 3–5-year-old children with more intensive needs.
The main ESU 16 contract supports early childhood special education, a range of special education-related staff and services shared across the district, and professional development and instructional support.
The separate $90,882 Mental Wellness Team contract funds mental health professionals who are in the district four days a week, working directly with students and alongside Perkins County’s in-house wellness team. Administrators emphasized that mental health needs have increased, including in younger grades, and that ESU 16 staff and local counselors have been “very busy” but highly effective.
Although these contracts represent significant expenditures, Jolliffe reminded the board that special education costs are largely reimbursed by the state and federal governments. Those reimbursements, however, arrive one year behind the expenditures.
Reveal Math Renewal
Curriculum Coordinator Deanne Bishop and administrators discussed the need to renew the Reveal Math K–12 program, with the current licenses expiring this year. The board agreed to bring the formal Reveal Math quote as a voting item in March.
School Calendars
The board approved the 2026–27 school calendar, choosing the option favored by staff that included a shorter spring break than the full-week break that has been implemented the last two years. The 2026-27 calendar places the last student day on May 14, with teachers returning until May 17 to close out the year.
There was also discussion about the current year’s unused snow days. Because the district has taken zero snow days so far this year, board members and administrators floated the idea of ending the current school year slightly earlier if that trend continues, though no decision was made on this.
Facility Updates
Jolliffe highlighted updates of the following planned summer projects:
* New carpet in the music room and counseling room at the elementary.
* Old kitchen remodel at the high school, with bids due February 26 and review by the facilities committee before the March meeting.
* Shop painting at the high school with more durable, cleanable paint.
* Completion of wireless door system installations by June 1.
Technology Reports
Technology Coordinator Renee Seiler reported that cameras are being installed in the school’s buses. During installation, the district discovered that only manufacturer-supplied SD cards work properly in the cameras. The district has ordered the correct cards and also longer cables to ensure front and rear 360° coverage by the cameras, she said.
Seiler also noted the district is rotating iPads on a 10‑year cycle, similar to the third-and fourth-grade devices, and has requested an updated quote from Apple for the next phase.
Activities Director Report
Activities Director Shawn Cole announced that the district will move its public activities calendar to the Bound platform in March, with parents encouraged to use the Bound app to follow school events by sport or activity. (See related article in this edition)
Cole also shared strong streaming numbers on the school’s Hudl broadcasts, and raised the possibility of exploring revenue options for online viewership.
Principals’ Reports
Reports from principals highlighted successful Missoula Children’s Theatre performances, parent‑teacher conferences, field trips, upcoming testing, and a busy spring filled with music, speech, wrestling, basketball and track events.
Also announced was the 2026 prom, scheduled for Saturday, March 21, will be held at Willow and Oak Event Center in Ogallala this year instead of at the school. The Grand March, however, will still be held at the high school at 5 p.m., with students being bused over to Ogallala for dinner and dancing from 7 to 10:30 p.m. Students will then be bused back to the high school for the after prom events starting at 11 p.m.
Personnel
In personnel matters, the board accepted the resignation of 7–12 principal Dalton Pettera, effective at the end of the school year; accepted a new contract with Tara Sudbeck to fill the 7-12 principal position; and renewed the contract with Austin Reisig as elementary principal.
Public Comment
During public comment, Holly Cornelius, representing the Perkins County Playhouse, thanked the district for hosting a recent play production, and patron Becky Uehling suggested the board consider recording and posting their meetings online so community members who cannot attend in person can still follow discussions.
Next Meeting
The next meeting of the Perkins County Schools Board will take place on Monday, March 16 at 6 p.m.