POLSON, Mont. — Students across the Polson School District returned to classrooms this week, but for those at the high school and middle school, back-to-school season also comes with the sight of cranes, scaffolding, and construction crews.
The district is now in phase two of a multi-year construction effort funded by two voter-approved bonds totaling $40 million, passed in 2023. Work has already wrapped up at Cherry Valley and Linderman Elementary schools, and now the focus has shifted to major additions and renovations at Polson High School and Polson Middle School, both of which are scheduled for completion by September 2026.
Superintendent Andy Fors emphasized that the projects are on schedule and are designed to reshape the district’s learning environment:
“So, both Cherry Valley and Linderman Elementary are finished and we’re now working on the high school, which is behind us here and the middle school projects and those have a completion date of September 2026.”
Fors explained that the bond addressed three main priorities:
One of the most visible improvements is a new two-story addition at Polson High School that will add roughly 15 classrooms, including new science and art labs, as well as modernized CTE spaces. The project will eliminate the need for modular classrooms that currently house many students.
“In this new addition behind us we’re adding about 15 classroom spaces, and those include science labs and art labs and other CTE spaces,” Fors said. “Those … are to replace the modular buildings that we have here at the high school, so we have a lot of students currently outside of our building, and when this project is done we will be able to have everyone under one roof.”
At the middle school, extensive remodeling is underway. Crews are renovating the commons and foyer, the administration building, and office spaces with a focus on security, while also upgrading multiple classrooms throughout the campus.
Principal Betsy Wade shared that some progress was ready just in time for the first day of school:
“It was a photo finish, but we had football players helping us move things in there yesterday, our new family consumer sciences space and new life skills classroom and those are just beautiful spaces, and our teachers and students will benefit for years from those new spaces.”
District leaders say the upgrades will not only enhance safety but also give students access to 21st-century learning environments that prepare them for higher education and the workforce. The improvements to CTE facilities are expected to expand opportunities in fields such as healthcare, skilled trades, and digital arts, ensuring students graduate with practical skills alongside their academic studies.
The ongoing transformation represents one of the largest facility investments in Polson School District history. Fors said the community’s support of the 2023 bond measures is already paying off:
“The three big focus areas for the bond were improving safety and security with our access controls, increasing capacity and making sure that we have great facilities for career and technical education.”
When complete, the upgraded high school and middle school will serve as anchors for the district’s future growth, offering safe, modern, and flexible learning spaces designed to meet the needs of students for decades to come.
Originally reported by Sean Wells in KPAX.
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