Shutting the doors: School board votes 5-2 to close Grantsdale Elementary School

Click on link below to view the article on another school closing tragedy!

Trustees around the nation fail to understand the bond citizens feel toward their smaller neighborhood schools and the superior education which a smaller school provides.

This school closure along with the Missoula school closures in 2004 and in previous years are an example of failed leadership of school boards.

It would behoove all city and county government entities to be involved in a school closure discussion as closing a school effects the whole city and geographical area.  In fact, the Superintendent of Public Instruction  in Helena needs to address this issue in her/his list of priorities so that uninformed and malevolent school boards cannot go against the will of the people to close a school. 

The future consequences of a school closure need to be considered more fully before a school closure.

The negative ramifications of closing Prescott, Mt. Jumbo, and Rattlesnake Middle School in 2004 have never fully been studied. Prescott School Missoula has just touched on some of the fall out from closing Prescott especially in light of the subsequent leasing of the school to a competing private school, Missoula Internatonal School and also the building of a modular at Rattlesnake School to accommodate the crowding there instead of reopening Prescott.

It is highly likely that the district is aware of other problems with the closing of the schools and the leasing of  one of the three to a competing entity but the district would want to keep any problems quiet.

Shutting the doors: School board votes 5-2 to close Grantsdale Elementary School

Toni Rehbein - formerly Toni Smartt - displayed questionable behavior while working for Misssoula County Public Schools in 1990

Did Toni Rehbein have a good record to stand on before being elected to the Missoula County Public Schools Board of Trustees? Had she displayed ethical behavior in her previous employment with MCPS?

According to past Missoulian articles reporting on Toni Rehbein (formerly Toni Smartt), the answer to the above question is unclear.

The Missoulian reported on a potential conflict of interest problem concerning Toni Smartt in relation to two of her jobs connected to Missoula County Public Schools.

The April 14th, 1990 article was followed by another on April 20th,
(post regarding that article will be forthcoming) on the same issue. In both articles there isn't information on how the investigation ended and on any conclusive decisions.

There is reason to believe that after reading the information in the articles that if there was no intentional "double dipping", (which we do not know if there was or not) Toni Smartt (as mentioned above now Toni Rehbein), at the very least, needed to avoid the appearance of any impropriety and not work for or get a pay check from Community Care.


Missoulian article on April 14^th of 1990
The article titled is titled:
“A conflict of interest, (lower case letters as was printed in the Missoulian)

with a subtitle of -

"School official’s off-duty job raises legal question”

By Gary Jahrig and Michael Moore of the Missoulian

"Deputy Missoula County Attorney Mike Sehestedt, who acts as the school district’s attorney, delivered that message Thursday after investigating concerns raised about Smartt’s affiliation with Community Care, Inc."

"Community Care works with schools and community organizations to educate young people in the prevention of alcohol and drug abuse."

"Smartt, whose district salary is $39,650, coordinates District 1’s drug and alcohol programs, and also works as middle-school coordinator. The district’s drug and alcohol program is in part paid for by a federal grant that Smartt “monitors” according to Block."

"District 1 uses the federal money to contract with Community Care for workshops designed to help district employees recognize and deal with chemical abuse."

"Smartt’sconflict, according to Sehestedt, arises because Community Care sometimes hires her to run those workshops. Smartt also serves on Community Care’s board of directors."

"Dorothea Lambros, president of Community Care’s board, said Friday that she is not sure how much money Smartt is paid. Block said District 1 paid Community Care about $25,300 last year."

"The Code of Federal Regulations which governs use of grants, states that employees of a grant recipient, in this case the school district, are not to have “financial or other interest” in a firm that receives grant money, as Community Care does. "

"“It appears to me that if an employee who administers a contract supported by federal funds has an interest in the corporation that receives the funds, and in fact receives money from that corporation, then you’ve got a conflict,” Sehestedt said."

"Block said that although he was not aware of any problem with the current arrangement, he would abide by any decision Sehestedt reached."

"“If it’s a problem …we are going to correct the problem,” Block said. “The only way I can see correcting it straight off, without being totally disruptive to the training program as we go on, is to say, Toni Smartt, you’re no longer part of the Community Care, Inc. board, “plain and simple.”"

"Sehestedt said he was less concerned by Smartt’s position on the board than with her contract relationship with Community Care."

"“I think it’s possible that she could still serve on the board, so long as she is not receiving remuneration for her service,” Sehestedt said. "

"Block said the matter would be taken up with Smartt next week when she returns to work after the District 1 spring break."

"“If that is a violation,” Block said, “I’m not going to place this district in a position of liability.”"

"Block said that when Smartt “moonlights in training in the area of drug awareness and addiction,” she does so on her own time."

"“When she is doing that kind of training she is on leave without pay from the school district because obviously we don’t have any double dipping going on,” Block said."

"Sehestedt said the conflict of interest exists regardless of whether Smartt is on her own time when she works for Community Care."

"Part of Smartt’s job description with District 1 calls for her to coordinate efforts with Community Care and represent the district on the organization’s board of directors."

"Contacted at home by the Missoulian, Smartt said she was unable to comment on the matter because she was unaware o f the conflict or Sehestedt’s recommendation."

"Lambros said Community Care will do nothing to endanger the grant, or the organization’s attempts to h help children."

"“We want to do the right thing,” she said. We don’t want to put anyone in a position of conflict. …We will resolve matters in a way that ensures that.”"