Gardiner Schools Loses Millions Of District Funding
Posted:
Updated:
GARDINER -
For nearly 40 years the Gardiner School district has been receiving thousands of dollars of funding from the U.S. Department of the Interior and now due to an overlook that funding has stopped.
"The claim is there is a current outstanding debt from anywhere from 7 to 10 million dollars that either has to be paid back or forgiven," said JT Stroder, Gardiner Schools Superintendent.
The money was given to the school district as part of a federal law passed in 1948 that helped provide education to children living on untaxed federal land in the Yellowstone National Park.
The law changed in 1977 and that's when payments were supposed to stop. Since then, the school district has been receiving $500,000 per year broken into two payments of $400,000 in November and $100,000 in the summer.
Gardiner Schools Superintendent, JT Stroder said that funding accounted for 20% of the schools annual budget.
"I think there could of been more done to ensure that the level of service we've been providing those students was the same until this was resolved," said Stroder.
And now with it gone, he said some things could be cut from the district.
"Basketball is currently at stake," said Stroder. "Pretty much all district travel related to professional development is canceled, most field trips are canceled and we're considering track. We haven't made a decision yet, but right now everything is on the table."
Julie Rehmer is a parent of 12-year-old that is expected to start track this spring.
"He's looking forward to track and other sports. I would just be very devastated and he would be too if the program gets cut," said Rehmer.
And students are bummed that their sports might be cut.
"It would be awful because tract is really what I look forward to at the end of the school year," said Zac Macy, student.
"It would be terrible if it was cut because track is really important to me," said Emma Burke, student.
The West Yellowstone school district is also affected by the cutting of these funds. The Montana delegation is trying to negotiate with the Department of the Interior to find a solution that could possibly include debt forgiveness.
Thursday, July 31 2014 9:32 PM EDT2014-08-01 01:32:58 GMT
A Sudanese woman who refused to recant her Christian faith in the face of a death sentence arrived Thursday in the United States, where she was welcomed first by the mayor of Philadelphia as a "world freedom...
A Sudanese woman who refused to recant her Christian faith in the face of a death sentence arrived Thursday in the United States, where she was welcomed first by the mayor of Philadelphia as a "world freedom fighter" and...
Thursday, July 31 2014 8:45 PM EDT2014-08-01 00:45:40 GMT
California's Republican candidate for governor says he spent a week living as a homeless person in search of a job to test Gov. Jerry Brown's claim that the state is making a comeback after the economic...
The Republican candidate for California governor said Thursday he spent a week living as a homeless person in Fresno to highlight the disparity between the governor's claim that the state is making an economic comeback...
Thursday, July 31 2014 8:14 PM EDT2014-08-01 00:14:44 GMT
The Canadian owner of a company that won nearly $1 billion in contracts to provide steel for the construction of the World Trade Center's tallest building and an adjacent transit center has been arrested on...
The Canadian owner of a company that won nearly $1 billion in contracts to provide steel for the construction of the World Trade Center's tallest building and a transit center was arrested Thursday on charges he...
Thursday, July 31 2014 2:22 PM EDT2014-07-31 18:22:03 GMT
OKANOGAN COUNTY, Wash. - The Carlton Complex is now 71% contained and is 251,698 acres in size. Firefighters are continuing the hot, difficult work of “mopping up” and strengthening the fire line, especially in the areas south of Highway 20 towards the summit of Loop Loop.
OKANOGAN COUNTY, Wash. - The Carlton Complex is now 71% contained and is 251,698 acres in size. Firefighters are continuing the hot, difficult work of “mopping up” and strengthening the fire line, especially in the areas south of Highway 20 towards the summit of Loop Loop.
Wednesday, July 30 2014 8:09 PM EDT2014-07-31 00:09:41 GMT
Some people in Butte discover the money in their wallet is fake. Andrew Jackson, Ulysses S. Grant, Benjamin Franklin, those are the faces you usually see on counterfeit money but George Washington? Now, that's rare.
Some people in Butte discover the money in their wallet is fake. Andrew Jackson, Ulysses S. Grant, Benjamin Franklin, those are the faces you usually see on counterfeit money but George Washington? Now, that's rare.
Wednesday, July 16 2014 9:30 PM EDT2014-07-17 01:30:30 GMT
In Congress Wednesday, the group in charge of doling out Cobell settlement claims says it's waiting on setting exact amounts and a judge's okay before making the rest of the payments.
In Congress Wednesday, the group in charge of doling out Cobell settlement claims says it's waiting on setting exact amounts and a judge's okay before making the rest of the payments.
Tuesday, July 29 2014 12:23 AM EDT2014-07-29 04:23:46 GMT
ABC/FOX Montana Sports Intern Cole Havens tells us about Disc Golf or 'Folf' as many people know it, is a sport that's becoming more and more popular in the Treasure State.
ABC/FOX Montana Sports Intern Cole Havens tells us about Disc Golf or 'Folf' as many people know it, is a sport that's becoming more and more popular in the Treasure State.
Thursday, July 31 2014 12:15 AM EDT2014-07-31 04:15:24 GMT
The Missoula Osprey host Great Falls as Justin Williams tried to set a new record for consecutive games with a hit. Highlights from the State A baseball tournament in Lewistown and the Bozeman soccer squad starts practicing.
The Missoula Osprey host Great Falls as Justin Williams tried to set a new record for consecutive games with a hit. Highlights from the State A baseball tournament in Lewistown and the Bozeman soccer squad starts practicing.
