BSSD leaders discuss strengths in new facilities, programs; challenges in enrollment, funding and staffing
By Jack Reaney SENIOR EDITOR
This is a three-part series about the challenges and opportunities facing the Big Sky School District in 2025. Part II examines bullying and will be released Wednesday, March 12. Part III will be released Friday, March 14, exploring the ongoing importance of community support.
Dr. Dustin Shipman’s tenure with the Big Sky School District began 10 years ago as superintendent and elementary school principal. Since arriving in the summer of 2015, the East Helena native has since seen Lone Peak High School’s enrollment roughly double—with graduating classes increasing from seven students in 2016 to 32 in 2024—and the district’s creation of a pre-K program. He’s proud of the schools’ expanded offerings in academics and athletics, like career tech courses for hands-on learning, and new varsity soccer and baseball programs among the district’s higher-than-ever extracurricular involvement.
“The one thing that’s remained constant, that hasn’t changed in that time, is we’re still continuing to churn out high-achieving kids that have a lot of success in their postsecondary lives,” Shipman said, a sentiment that is echoed by his fellow administrators.
Big Sky’s public schools are unique, much like the community whose children fill their halls.
Although the school district is small and somewhat rural, Big Sky students benefit from unusual educational opportunities like multi-day backpacking trips and ski days, and impressive facilities like the new hands-on STEAM wing and an artificial turf multi-sport field. Big Sky is one of just four Montana school districts offering International Baccalaureate curriculum. Theater productions are popular and performed in an impressive facility. Students participate in study abroad programs and advocate for electric buses. Facing a statewide crisis in teacher retention, local nonprofits aim to offset the cost of living for teachers in an expensive region.
Opportunities abound, but it’s not perfect for every student. Some families find the schools too small and athletics-focused to fit in, and others don’t feel served by IB programs. Still, administrative leaders are overwhelmingly confident in the education they provide to local families.
Superintendent Shipman, elementary Principal Brittany Shirley and middle and high school Principal Dr. Marlo Mitchem are going on 36 combined years educating Big Sky kids, including their own children.
A native of Anaconda, Montana, Shirley has been around longest. She took a second grade role in 2008, back when high school students still commuted to Bozeman—Lone Peak High School opened in 2009. She became Ophir Elementary principal in 2020 and now has four of her own children in BSSD schools.
“I think the most remarkable thing, over time… it’s the people who work here, and the kids that make it so fun. I’m really proud to work in this school, and to work with the caliber of teachers that we have, and their dedication to growing and learning and making sure that students are successful is amazing,” Shirley told Explore Big Sky.
Mitchem, a Virginia native, arrived nine years ago after 11 years teaching at IB schools in Morocco and Germany. With her experience, she was hired to work as curriculum coordinator for the district as it adopted IB programs. She’s in her fifth year as principal of Ophir Middle School and LPHS.
Mitchem says she’s stayed for the district’s talented and hardworking staff, for the students who make her laugh and from whom she learns every day, and for a rewarding line of work beside her husband, also a BSSD staff member, and son, a student at the school.
Mitchem said it’s the school district’s obligation to prepare students for the next phase of their lives after graduation; Shipman is proud to report that that 90 to 95% of Lone Peak students pursue postsecondary education.
He adds that like anyone in any school role, he’s motivated “to try to make a difference in the lives of kids, community, state, country and world.”
Strengths and challenges
School leaders highlight the district’s areas of excellence: the “incredible” and “inspiring” STEAM facility that helps balance students’ learning with creative outlets; the preparedness of graduates for the next phase of their life including frequent acceptances to top college choices; transferable IB college credits helping families with higher-education costs; the new 4-K program introducing youngsters to friendly classroom environments; collaboration and camaraderie among teachers; midweek ski days with free passes offered by Big Sky Resort to elementary students, and group lessons covered by the Big Sky PTO; and day-to-day innovations like Ophir Elementary’s new “What I Need” or “WIN” block and LPHS’ rotating “waterfall” schedule, both providing flexible periods for catch-up work and special projects.
Shirley said this year’s trial of the “WIN” block has enabled opportunities like an astronaut’s visit on Feb. 10 and a mock election in November. It has allowed Ophir Elementary to build community across age levels within the school, and “do things that are outside of what we would normally have time to do,” she said.
Mitchem explained that the district has a strong multi-tiered system of support, or “MTSS,” with a leadership team that meets weekly to analyze student data and achievement, making academic or social and emotional interventions when needed. Continuous improvement is the goal.
“We make sure we have extra support systems for them throughout the day and the week to make sure that they can become proficient and feel confident and strong about their academic performance,” she said.
The district also has its challenges. Shipman summarized the primary challenge of operating a Montana public school district in 2025 in one word: funding.
“That’s it, that’s what we’re all talking about… The funding formula seems to need a revisiting,” Shipman said, adding that Montana will review its funding formula in 2026 as part of a regular decennial study.
Staff recruitment is another “significant challenge,” he said. Ophir Elementary teaching openings used to receive 20 to 30 applications, but now the school district is lucky to field five. Housing has become a narrowing factor in the hiring process.
Big Sky’s declining enrollment further complicates funding.
Big Sky’s K-12 enrollment was roughly 450 in 2021. By the end of January 2025, enrollment has dropped to 400—even counting students from a 4-K program that began last year.
A school district’s annual funding is determined by the number of students enrolled. When enrollment decreases, schools like Big Sky need to refine their budgets.
The district’s annual budget deficits have grown from $100,000 and $300,000 in 2021 and 2022, respectively, to roughly $650,000 and $900,000 in the past two years. The district anticipates a deficit as high as $1 million in fiscal year 2026. However, private donors and the community foundations of Big Sky’s three private clubs have stepped in every year to preemptively close the gap, Shipman explained.
“We are extremely, extremely, extremely, extremely—I cannot stress this enough—fortunate in this community that we have local foundations, the PTO and individual donors that help us cover those deficits year-to-year,” Shipman said.
The most notable impact of a tight budget is staffing cuts, resulting in larger classroom sizes.
“The teachers have done a really good job of taking on more responsibility, having bigger classes,” Mitchem said. “That is challenging when you’re starting off at a school that’s traditionally had very small classes.”
Shipman doesn’t believe declining enrollment is a strong indication of school satisfaction. Other factors like Big Sky’s cost of living and long, cold winters might dissuade families from committing to a unique, resort-town lifestyle after a couple years. He explained that the COVID-fueled spike in Big Sky’s year-round population interfered with a fairly consistent growth trend, and has now been followed by an associated drop.
“This is a statewide issue,” he said. Many of Montana’s small rural schools are experiencing an even more dramatic decline, with exceptions mostly in fast-growing urban areas. Shipman predicts that over the next decade, BSSD’s enrollment will climb to a stable plateau around 500 to 520 students.
He explained that a “significant” bill, House Bill 252, would give school districts the ability to increase early-career teacher pay via state aid, and BSSD administrators are “totally” in support of the bill.
“I think everybody is in support of any bill that’s going to put some money back into schools,” Shipman said.
Montana pays its teachers the lowest average starting salaries in the nation, offering $34,476 to new teachers which is $2,353 less than the next lowest, Missouri, according to 2024 data from the National Education Association. The national average starting pay is $44,530.
In mid-January, Ophir Elementary’s sole first grade teacher, Maggie Angell, left abruptly to take a position at Bozeman’s Monforton School, citing “strictly” financial factors and expressing gratitude for her time teaching in Big Sky and “a heavy heart,” in an email to parents obtained by Explore Big Sky. She declined to comment for this story.
“Not desired, right? That’s something I haven’t encountered,” Shirley said. “I’ve been in education 20 years and I haven’t ever encountered a teacher leaving or breaking their contract.”
Shipman agreed, thinking of possibly one instance of a teacher leaving for a non-emergency in his 18-year career. However, he said BSSD respects staff members’ right to make personal choices.
Whitney McKenzie, BSSD’s health enhancement teacher with experience teaching second and third grade, pivoted into Angell’s vacant desk—guest teacher Karen Schrieber returned to backfill McKenzie’s health enhancement role. Over one long weekend, Shirley said the staff made an “amazingly smooth” transition.
“I think what happened there is a testament to who I work with, and the great way that people rise up during a challenge,” Shirley said. Although students were “very sad” about Angell’s departure, they’ve responded well to McKenzie’s effort to step in and drum up excitement.
“They have pet fish now, and they get to name the pet fish,” Shirley said. “Just the way that she’s kind of drawn the kids in and got them excited for their learning in the second half of their first grade year.”
Four staff members rotate in to support small-group reading instruction. Rolling sleeves up and jumping in is not unusual for a district where staff are proud to wear numerous hats—a parallel to the broader Big Sky community.
For the district’s older grade levels, staff limitations also require efficient programs as students begin moving in different directions.
“We’re a small school, so we… can’t have all these offerings that a large, comprehensive high school can,” Mitchem said. “But we are, with our resources, always trying to figure how we can continue to serve all of our students in a way that fits them, in high school in particular, because they’re navigating the graduation path.”
At the center of that journey is the International Baccalaureate program. Mitchem acknowledges not everyone loves it—some would prefer alternatives like the Advanced Placement program—but she believes the program sets Big Sky apart from other school districts as IB courses are recognized nationally for their high standards. And unlike honors and AP programs at many larger schools, Big Sky students don’t need to apply for IB Diploma Program courses in 11th and 12th grade.
“Everybody is invited,” Mitchem said. “… We believe that it’s accessible to everybody.”
Students can challenge themselves to complete the full IB program—roughly half of Lone Peak graduates do—or they can select just one or two IB-level classes and earn college credit in just those subjects.
Enrollment in IB classes is associated with improved college outcomes, and financial benefits for those who earn college credit, Mitchem explained. Students are asked to produce a lot of individual work, and the program gives teachers a standard to reach for.
Since 2015, Shipman believes the district’s IB program has matured to a point where students and staff understand the system. “We can really work with kids now and get them a flexible way to get them to their diploma, and to get to their postsecondary goals. And we’re always working on that,” he said.
Even for students who aren’t driven to pursue IB-level credits, they might still share a classroom for certain core subjects. For example, in courses like IB English, all students will read the same novels and generally complete the same assignments, Mitchem explained. However, IB-level physics isn’t required for all students, so those classes might be filled only with students looking for that specific challenge.
Students can also gain independent- and work-study credit through the design technology center, and the district is constantly looking for ways to engage each unique student with their interests on-site.
All of this within the delicate balancing act of operating a state-funded school district in a fast-changing community. In spite of its challenges, BSSD pushes onward with the support of its community to improve education for local kids.
“We’ve never arrived,” Mitchem said. “The product’s never finished.”
