A newsletter delivered each month after the Regular School Board meeting to update parents, students, and our Philipsburg community.
What It Means to Be a Prospector
“A PROSPECTOR is always expected to achieve a standard of excellence, most importantly in the classroom, but also in sports.” — Zach Waldbillig
Current enrollment:
High School (9–12): 37 students (+1 Job Corps = 38 total)
Junior High (7–8): 29 students
Combined Onsite Enrollment: 66 students (67 including Job Corps)
Elementary (K-6): 83 students
Overall K-12 = 149 students onsite/151 total with 1 Job Corps and 1 ESSA
Infrastructure & Facilities
Boiler Improvement: A “flute-valve” was installed on the elementary boiler, increasing airflow and helping prevent backdraft issues.
GHS Hallway Project: The hallway door/wall project is expected to be completed in April (before the May board meeting). Remaining work includes wall texture, wood wainscoting, paint, and trim.
Gravel Project (Planned): Quotes have been obtained for gravel at both schools (front areas and shop access). This may become a summer project to reduce mud; paving is preferred, but currently cost-prohibitive.
Bathroom Upgrade: The GHS boys’ hallway bathroom received a significant refresh, including floor painting, removal of an outdated washbasin, re-grouting, and deep cleaning—resulting in noticeable improvements for students.
Cafeteria Freezer Maintenance: GHS cafeteria freezers will be shut down from late May to mid-June for maintenance, including floor repainting and re-grouting to improve efficiency.
Academic Interventions
Advisory Update: Students in grades 7–12 have transitioned from twice-weekly EdReady sessions to Literacy Intervention for the remainder of the school year.
Book Club Integration: All advisory classes are now incorporating dedicated book club reading time.
Current Titles: Students are reading The Call of the Wild, One Bullet Away, Shop Class, Contact, and Victoria’s Diary.
Literacy intervention is provided daily at the elementary school on a rotating schedule for all grade levels, helping to improve reading proficiency and build student confidence.
Classroom teachers implement small-group reading and math instruction throughout the day across all grade levels, allowing for targeted support, increased engagement, and stronger skill development.
Shout Outs this month:
EdReady Math Growth: GHS/JH EdReady data shows strong improvement in math scores. Feedback from EdReady representative Ms. Jacque Teasdale praised students’ progress.
Student Recognition: On March 26, all K–12 students were treated to doughnuts and juice in recognition of their hard work on EdReady, DIBELS, IXL, and MontCAS assessments.
6th Grade Mock Trial: Sixth-grade students hosted a mock trial focused on truancy, attendance, and the justice system. The event demonstrated outstanding effort and engagement from students, staff, and families.
Easter Egg Hunt Success: The annual GHS Easter Egg Hunt included over 3,700 eggs. Appreciation goes to the staff, parents, and organizers for their time and effort in making the event a success.
Spring Sports Underway: Spring athletics have begun, including high school tennis (grades 8–12) and track programs for both high school (8–12) and junior high (5–8). Best of luck to all athletes and coaches!
Steered Straight Assembly Success: On March 24, GHS hosted an impactful Steered Straight assembly focused on the dangers and consequences of tobacco and drug use.
Special thanks to Amanda Bohrer for organizing the visit from Michael R. DeLeon, whose presentation made a strong impression on students.
Advisory Class provides additional instructional time without reducing core class time, allowing for enrichment activities, skill practice, and EdReady work.
Student Wellness Presentation: On April 8, Colette Lilyquist led an advisory session on gut health and its connection to academic performance and mental health.
The presentation encouraged students to make healthier dietary choices to support overall well-being and learning.
Thank you to Mrs. Lilyquist for sharing valuable insights on how nutrition can positively or negatively affect student health and success.
Booster Corner:
We’re proud to support our students, but we still need more Booster Club members! If you're interested in helping with events, fundraising, or student activities, please reach out. Every helping hand makes a difference! Reach out to Margie Lee about becoming a Booster member.
Thank you for your continued support of our Titans and Prospectors!
Upcoming Events:
Upcoming Event – Health/Prevention Fair: Philipsburg will host the 2nd Annual Health & Prevention Fair on Wednesday, April 22, 2026, from 9:00–11:00 a.m. in the GHS gym.
Community Partnership: Organized by Deb Robinson of the Granite County Health Department, the event aims to match last year’s strong participation and turnout.
Upcoming Event: The 2nd Annual Granite County Career Exploration Day will take place on Wednesday, April 29, 2026, from 9:00–11:00 a.m. at GHS.
Student Opportunity: The event provides students from both schools with valuable exposure to career pathways and exploration opportunities.
Organizer Recognition: Special thanks to GHS counselor Ray Hess and DHS counselor Sam Larson for coordinating this event.
April 2026 – Easter/Spring Break, ACT, Prom Month
April 23: Lockdown Drill
May 2026 – Graduations & Celebrations Month
May 5: School Trustee Election - Make sure to vote!
May 14: School Board Meeting
May 24: GHS Senior Graduation
May 26–27 (TBD): Track & Field Day
May 27: 8th Grade Graduation (evening)
May 29: Kindergarten Graduation (evening)
June 2026 – End of Semester 2 & Start of Summer Break
June 1–2: Semester Finals
June 9: School Board Meeting
July 2026 – Summer Camps / No Board Meeting
August 2026 – Back to School Month
August 11: School Board Meeting
Back-to-School Events: TBD
More events are listed on our Events Calendar.
Get the School App and Stay Informed:
Download the Philipsburg Schools app to stay informed and receive real-time notifications about school events and updates. Simply visit your device’s app store to download the app.
Useful Links:
Our website has a bunch of information for students, parents, and our Philipsburg community. You can access our Events calendar on the home page. The Elementary Secretary Brandi Morales issues a weekly newsletter that you can find under News. These Monthly Newsletters will also be located under News. If you get the School App, you'll receive push notifications when a newsletter has been posted to the website.
You can find the Printable Academic Calendar on the website in the top-right-hand corner. You can access your Parent Portal in Infinite Campus and Student Portal in Infinite Campus on the website, as well as the School Store. All three links are in the top-right-hand corner of the website.
If you need to find information on Graduation Requirements, Assessments, Academic Rewards, "How to Help" Strategies, Career-related Exploration, Standardized Testing, or the Course Catalog, click on Academics in the website's Menu.
You can also click on College & Career Pathways to get scholarship information, FAFSA information, apprenticeships, and more.
Facility Information:
We'll be creating a facility information page soon for our website that will have helpful links to our new facility user agreement, volunteer form, facility user calendar, and more. Keep an eye out!
Out-of-District Enrollment:
Check out our Out-of-District Enrollment on our website to stay abreast of policy, application links, and requirements. Application deadline with ALL SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION is due by 4:00 p.m. on the First day of June and MUST be hand-delivered to the Superintendent/Principal, Assistant Principal, or District Clerk at 407 Schnepel Street, Philipsburg, Montana, during regular school hours, Monday through Thursday, from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Attendance Policy:
Make sure to read the Parent/Student Handbook on the new attendance policy and how it affects your student's grades. Here are three key points:
Excused absences are caused by illness, danger to health from serious exposure (weather), or imperative necessity (emergency medical and dental appointments, death or funeral in the family). Students are allowed three (3) days to make up missed work.
Unexcused absences are with parent/guardian knowledge, but for reasons not listed above or due to no prior notification. A parent/guardian can apply for a waiver for an upcoming lengthy absence with the principal.
Missing nine (9) or more days per semester per class, the student receives a 2% reduction per class for each additional absence on the 9th and subsequent days. Ex: a student misses a total of 12 days and has a 74% at the end of the semester, an additional 2% x 4 days = 8% points off 74% = 66% for a final semester grade.
Social Media:
Follow us on Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram. If you need to contact the school, please call or email the school. We do not check social media for messages. You can call 406-859-3232 or email info@pburg.k12.mt.us. Thank you!
Board Meeting Information:
The Philipsburg School District No. 1 School Board consists of the following members: Chairperson Genevieve Kulaski, Vice Chairperson Margie Lee, and Trustees Joy Lucero, Connie Schiedermayer, and Jennifer Graham. You can find their Contact information here.
You can access school board messages, minutes, and policies here.
The School Board meets every Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. in the High School Board/Concession Room. If a scheduling conflict requires a change to the meeting date or time, notice will be posted in public locations around town, on the school website, and on the school app. Notices will also be posted on both school front doors. We hope you can join us!