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Mangis honored at June meeting, Zortman route in question in his absence

Shortly after his final trip back to Zortman on the last day of school, Craig Mangis was honored for his nearly 50-years of service as a bus driver for the Malta School District at the District’s monthly meeting last Tuesday.

Malta Public Schools Superintendent Kris Kuehn told the PCN that Mangis was thanked for his 47-years of service to Malta Schools and was awarded a bronze Mustang statue as a salute.

“He was thanked for his dedication and thanked about the magnitude of the responsibility of transporting children all days from Zortman and back every day,” Supt. Kuehn said. “That route wasn’t your average drive to school. That is a long trip and he did it for a long time.”

Supt. Kuehn said that Mangis’ bus driving position needs to be filled (see the advertisement on page 6A with other Malta School’s job openings in this week’s PCN) and if the school is unable to find a replacement, the route might have to go away and other travel arrangements for those children to get to school would need to be made.

“We would have to look at doing individual travel contracts,” Supt. Kuehn said. “That is huge because we have never had to do that. It would mean that all of the sudden we aren’t offering bus service for these kids after doing so for the last 50-plus years.”

Areas where the Malta School District have been successful in finding educators and administrators to fill vacant positions heading into the 2018-19 school years include a new elementary school principal, a school counselor and high school science teacher.

Supt. Kuehn said that at a special meeting last May, Cadance Wipplinger was hired for the Malta Elementary Principal position. She is originally from Absarokee and comes to Malta via Red Lodge.

"She came and spent a day with (Principal Tad) Schye a couple of weeks ago," Supt. Kuehn said. "We are excited to have her join Malta Schools. She is very enthusiastic about the position and will be here a few weeks before school starts."

Supt. Kuehn said that other hires included Kate Webb as high school counselor; Mendy Estill as the high school science teacher; Donna Scheffelear as the Malta Middle School Secretary and AD Clerk; and Chelsea Phipps, Speech Therapist. The next Malta School Board meeting is tentatively scheduled for Monday, May 9, at 7 p.m. in the school's workroom.

 

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