New middle school magnificent

By GAIL SCHONTZLER Chronicle Staff Writer

Taking a break from a pickup basketball game on the gleaming gym floor in the brand new Chief Joseph Middle School, 12-year-old Wyatt David had trouble finding just the right words to describe his new school.

ALTON STRUPP/CHRONICLE Principal of Chief Joseph Middle School Diane Cashell waves to friends, colleagues and supporters at the closing of her speech during a celebration marking the opening of the $22 million school on Tuesday afternoon. “Magnificent,” the seventh-grader said. “Very cool. Eye-opening.”

Adults also struggled to sum up their excitement about the $22 million school. It officially opens this morning, on the first day of classes for the 5,400 students of the Bozeman School District.

“It’s beautiful, it’s absolutely perfect,” Principal Diane Cashell said. “It surpassed our dreams.”

About 120 parents, teachers, kids and dignitaries gathered in front of the school Tuesday for an official dedication. The program included an American Indian blessing song by Scott Frazier and a ceremonial ribbon-cutting by the Bozeman Area Chamber of Commerce.

The school is at North Ferguson Avenue and Kimberwicke Street, surrounded by new housing developments in northwest Bozeman, west of the new Post Office and Costco.

“None of this would have happened without the outstanding support of the Bozeman community, providing the necessary resources for the children of this district,” School Board Chairman Gary Lusin said.

That wasn’t empty rhetoric. Twice the School Board had to ask voters in the Bozeman elementary school district for money to build the school. The project at one point was in such deep trouble, teachers were ready to revolt.

When architects and teachers started planning the new middle school, it soon became apparent the $14 million budgeted was far too little and would only build a school smaller than the old one.

So the School Board went back to voters to ask for another $7.5 million to “do it right” and to enlarge the school to accommodate Bozeman’s growth. Voters overwhelmingly said yes to the second bond issue.

Construction also ran into challenges, said Don Stueck of Martel Construction, who supervised the project.

“We fought the mud, the snow, the sleet, the rain n and still we got ‘er done on time and in budget,” Stueck said. “I’d like the see the headline, ‘Martel comes through again.’”

Those who served on the planning committee were pleased.

“It’s a beautiful school, absolutely,” said Eric Matthews, technical education teacher.

“It’s fabulous, it’s beyond my expectations,” said Sara Garcia, a former School Board member.

The building is still not 100 percent finished. Outside, concrete bases are waiting for installation of tall lights that will increase parking lot safety, a last-minute addition because there was enough money in the budget.

Inside, some rooms weren’t 100 percent ready for kids. Books weren’t yet put away in the library. The woodshop room looked chaotic, but Matthews said he spends the first two weeks having kids work on computers before they’re ready to touch shop equipment.

The new school will have 570 middle-school students and 48 teachers. In addition, it will house 80 kindergarten, first- and second-grade students in what’s called a “primary center,” a temporary way to accommodate Bozeman’s growing numbers of students until construction of a new elementary school is finished next year. Chief Joseph also will house about 40 preschool special-education children.

Lusin, Cashell and Superintendent Kirk Miller thanked School Board trustees, former Superintendent Mike Redburn, architects Prugh & Lenon, parents, custodians, subcontractors and administrators who worked hard on the project.

In the gym, which has a new-car smell, the seventh-grade basketball players said the new school is a lot better than the old one.

“All the kids aren’t like scrunched into one hall,” said Riley Kack, 13. “There’s more space.”

In the old school’s bathrooms, toilets didn’t flush and doors didn’t lock, they said. In the old gym, the scoreboards didn’t work, said Logan Humberger, 12.

Still, when asked if they would heed adults’ pleas not to bring gum into the new school to keep it nice, the players scoffed and said they may seek extra supplies of gum.

“It’s only illegal if you get caught,” one quipped.

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