YouTube video showing lack of maintenance at Prescott School - "Prescott School in Missoula"

This blog now has a YouTube companion!😊 The name of it is - "Prescott School in Missoula". There have been posts about the lack of maintenance at Prescott School and other topics. Thank you for checking it out!

On another note - it has been a little difficult keeping up with the social media on this blog. This is the reason for the lack of more professional looking posts! Thank you for checking out this blog, also!

 https://youtu.be/wnJAjGcEMxs?si=nSL5NO1yAa32DJbZ

LARGER TWO-ROOM MODULAR FROM JEFFERSON SCHOOL COULD BE USED AT PRESCOTT SCHOOL

 

This document was sent to Missoula County Public Schools officials(listed below). Using a larger modular such as the one at Jefferson School(which was built at Rattlesnake School in 2012) would be a solution if the district maintains it's position that Prescott School is too small. This argument doesn't make sense since it has been a school since 1951and has been used for many different grade and enrollment levels.

LARGER MODULAR FROM JEFFERSON SCHOOL COULD BE USED AT PRESCOTT SCHOOL

To: Missoula County Public Schools officials, Superintendent Micah Hill, Maintenance Director Burley McWilliams, Missoula County Public Schools Board of Trustees and Missoula citizens

This email is regarding using modulars in Rattlesnake, specifically Prescott School. Modulars have been used in the Rattlesnake for years (see history below).

The reason why a modular is currently being brought up as it relates to Prescott School is that the district has included Prescott School on a list of vacant properties and is making decisions on each one. 

Recently, we have heard the Missoula County Public Schools district say that the size, or “footprint”, of Prescott School is too small and this would be one reason why the district would not want to keep Prescott.

This reasoning does not make sense since Prescott School has been a public school for 135 years (outside of the inappropriate lease to Missoula International School for about 20 years beginning in 2004). Prescott School has been used for a variety of different grade levels during these years with different levels of enrollment. A look at the history of Prescott School published in a booklet by MCPS tells us this and also enrollment data from various resourses. 

Moreover, an economist has told the district that MCPS needs to build flexibility into its schools. Keeping Prescott School, even if it is a smaller school than many district schools, would enhance flexibility in the Rattlesnake Valley as so many of our children are at this time, and in the past, being bused out of the Rattlesnake.

 A modular can be used when enrollment at a school has increased, and more classroom space is needed instead of busing our students as mentioned. As a counter to the district selling or using Prescott School for something else other than a school, due to its size, there is an alternative - that of a newer modular being brought to the Prescott School site. There are two newer modulars at Jefferson School.

There is currently an older smaller modular on the north side of Prescott School. This modular, I am told by a teacher, was brought over from Hawthorne School many years ago. Unfortunately, with the lease of Prescott School to Missoula International School this modular, although it could be used for space, would need some clean up and repairs due to neglect by MIS.

A modular would be beneficial not only for Prescott but for the district if it continues the narrative that Prescott is too small. It would also be better than building an addition to the Prescott School building or any other building or a sale.

Recently, we went to the north side of Prescott School and did some measurements. We also did some measurements at Jefferson School on South Avenue (Remembe Jefferson is a triplet to Prescott School and Washington School). The two modulars(both two-room) are located at the back of Jefferson School by the Central Kitchen.

We measured the area around the older modular to see if a bigger modular could fit, if the older modular was moved or if another modular could fit in front of it. Yes, it could.

Measurements of the modular at Prescott School

Measurements of the modular itself 24’x40’ (24’ wide and 40’ long)

12’ from the stairs of the modular to the building (this leaves room between a modular and the building-which may be enough or more than enough to bring in a larger modular.

24’ from the modular to the telephone poll.

______________________________________________________________________

Measurements of the modular at Jefferson School

Measurements of the modular itself 44’x53’ (44’wide and 53’long)

9’ stair measurement that is attached to the front of the modular at Jefferson- which is situated on the length side of the modular

_______________________________________________________________________

Notes

The difference in width is 20’ (44’for the Jefferson modular and 24’ for the Prescott modular)

The difference in length is 13’ (53’ for the newer modular at Jefferson and 40’ for the Prescott modular)

***At Prescott School there is room for additional length for the newer Jefferson modular with the 13’ difference.

***There is also room for the newer Jefferson modular when considering the width. There would be 6’ of space between the modular and a pole that is near Briar Street. One could add 2’ or more feet of space in this area if you allowed 10’ between the school building and the modular instead of the 12’ of space which it is currently. You could add some footage also because the stairs are in different positions.

 Modulars at Jefferson School on South Avenue

                                                                               

Figure 3 Jefferson School – triplet to Prescott and Washington Schools

Modular at Prescott School – 2026

Figure 4 Prescott School modular looking north – 2026

 

Figure 5 Prescott School Modular looking east – 2026

Figure 6 Modular at Prescott School looking southeast - 2026

Some modular history –

In 2004, after the closure of Rattlesnake Middle School, Prescott School, and Mt. Jumbo School, the modular which was at Rattlesnake Middle School was moved to Washington Middle School which entailed multiple hook-ups to the school.

After the 2004 closures, Rattlesnake Middle School was converted to an elementary school.  Later, when the population of the newly created Rattlesnake Elementary School grew, MCPS district approved the building of another modular(!), a two-room modular at Rattlesnake Elementary and also another one at Lowell School. (This approval was immediately after the MCPS district approved an extension of the lease of Prescott School to Missoula International School, which shows inappropriate loyalty to MIS and malfeasance in the handling of district properties, especially to Prescott School.)

 Further information about the Rattlesnake Elementary School modular -

The information below is from a May 2012 MCPS meeting discussing and awarding the building of two modulars, one for Lowell and one for Rattlesnake Elementary School as mentioned. If you divide $417,147 in half the bid for one modular is $208, 573. Adding the prep work and landscaping most likely would have cost about $250,000 or more.

The May 2012 minutes are below. This information was on another blog created after the 2004 closures. (www.missoulaschoolwatchdog.blogspot.com) There are 10 posts just on the modulars on this blog!

6. Topic: Award Modular Classroom Bid

– Lowell & Rattlesnake Schools

(Elem) (Action)

Background Information:

At April 10th, Board meeting, Trustees granted

permission to solicit bids for the construction of modulars located at Lowell and

Rattlesnake schools. The District received four responses to the bid.

The bids were opened on May 8th, and the results are as follows:

Vendor Bid Amount

Sirius Construction $417,14    

 MKC $432,836

Western Interstate $449,000

Lower Construction $467,062

Administrative Recommendation:

Administration recommends that Trustees

award the Rattlesnake and Lowell modular bid to Sirius Construction. at the June

12, 2012 regular Board meeting on the Consent Agenda.

In 2015, a bond of $151 million was passed by the voters. The bond funded Rattlesnake Elementary School four additional classrooms and an entryway renovation. The modulars that were built in 2012 were moved! So…not only did the district move the modular from what was then the Rattlesnake Middle School turned into the elementary school in 2004, but they also moved the newer modular that was built in 2012 due to the bond recommendations.

The district has spent thousands of dollars and perhaps up to a million on modulars and the moving of the modulars bringing home the point that just keeping Prescott School open would have saved the district money.

The modular at Rattlesnake Elementary School and the Lowell modular were moved to the back of Jefferson School. (I believe this to be the case.)

In conclusion, rather than close Prescott School permanently, the district could use the modular at Jefferson. It appears that that modular is meant to be in the Rattlesnake Valley, this time at Prescott School, if it is needed. 

Thank you for reading this information. We must reopen Prescott School for the children, families, neighborhood, teachers, and even the district.

Thank you again!

Jeanne Joscelyn

Prescott School Missoula Advocates

jeannejoscelyn@hotmail.com

www.prescottschoolmissoula.blogspot.com

Facebook – Save Prescott School

New! YouTube – Prescott School in Missoula

(These things aren’t perfect but have information about Prescott School.)

 

 

 

 

The Rattlesnake residents do not deserve to lose another one of our historic, needed, popular, and valuable neighborhood schools, Prescott School. Unfortunately, we lost Lincoln School, a charming, historic, beautiful, and popular school for the Rattlesnake residents and all Missoulians. We must stop the sale of Prescott School. We need to keep Prescott School in the school district for the use of Missoula County Public Schools children for which it was built. 

 LINCOLN SCHOOL FOR SALE SIGN

• 
  
• DO NOT WANT A FOR SALE SIGN ON PRESCOTT SCHOOL! 

FLASHBACK - Past MIS officer and former MCPS Trustee Toni Rehbein highlighted in this Missoulian article (includes link)

Note - Prescott School Missoula has to admit that I do not always remember what I have posted. It appears that this topic was already discussed in a prior post ( May 5th 2013)! I do not always read my own blog, however, I think this topiic is worthy of posting twice! And...I don't write my views in exactly the same way as time has passed. One point that remains forever, however, is that Toni Rehbein was one of the most disloyal, and perhaps the most disloyal Missoula County Public School Trustee of all time. Two others come to mind, Trustee Rosemary Harrison and Jenda Hemphill, who are both deceased. 

This article is missing important disloyal actions by MCPS Toni Rehbein. During Rehbein's tenure, MCPS lost the use of TWO public schools, Roosevelt and Prescott Schools. Rehbein did not look after the public school children in these cases.  Under her leadership, the public lost critical and valuable building and property assets that were paid by taxpayers for many, many years.

As many in the community knew Rehbein not only voted to sell Roosevelt School to a religious school and encouraged,but did not vote (because she got caught for her past ties to MIS) for the lease of Prescott School to her former private school, MIS, she did other favors for her family using her position on the MCPS Board of Trustees.

In other words, Trustee Toni Rehbein was one of the most disloyal Missoula County Public Schools Trustees. Others in this category are: Trustee Rosemary Harrison, Trustee Jenda Cummings(Hemphill), Trustee David Merrill, Trustee Naomi DeMarinis Kimbell, Trustee Scott Bixler, Trustee Joe Toth, and others in subsequent years. These trustees voted against the public school children in 2004 and 2005, and in later years for some of these Trustees. 

These trustees cost the district massive loses in the millions of dollars range and massive disruption and confusion. These trustees forced hundreds of children to get on a bus every morning and every afternoon for much if not all of their school years. Many of these children could not get on a bike or walk to school as the distance was prohibitive and continues to this day.

It is quite disheartening to see that the disloyal Toni Rehbein is proud of her tenure. But then again, I can see that she would be proud as she helped out the schools to which she was really most loyal to, Missoula International School and the Catholic School system. 

Rehbein proud of tenure on MCPS Board of Trustees

Trustee Toni Rehbein - one, if not the most, disloyal MCPS Trustee

Important Information about Missoula's MCPS enrollment and demographics by Dr. Larry Swanson still relevant in 2026

 This document was sent to: MCPS Burley McWilliams, MCPS Superintendent Micah Hill, and publiccomment@mcpsmt.org

INFORMATION FROM CHART FROM A REPORT HANDOUT AT A HIGH SCHOOL FUTURES MEETING IN 2004

Important Information about the demographics for the Missoula County Public Schools District #1 by Dr. Larry Swanson at a High School Futures Meeting in November 2004

In the presentation above citizens were given a handout with demographic information which included many charts. On many of Swanson’s charts, there is written material as well which explains the dynamics of the population of children as they go through the school years. Swanson begins most of his explanations with the baby boom population beginning in the late 1940’s, after WW11. The baby boomer children started an explosion in school population as they grew up and started school and then rippled throughout the subsequent grades.  Then as they grew older and had children of their own these children then began another increase in the school age population. Swanson called these children the “echo boomers”. And subsequently these echo boomers once again had children of their own which Swanson calls the “echo echo boomers”

In the last paragraph of one chart (Past and Present MCPS School Enrollment Levels for Elementary Grades K through 5,1990-2030) it states,

“In general, the school systems elementary enrollment, which has been falling, has now begun to stabilize and will steadily rise for the next 10 to 12 years. After that time, the numbers will once again begin to fall, starting with the earliest grades first and with this decline then rippling through the subsequent grade levels. This general decline, however, is expected to once again stabilize after 2025 and a new floor in elementary enrollment levels will form before enrollment begins to rise after 2030.”

Once again, according to the information in the chart mentioned above, the

“….      ENROLLMENT BEGINS TO RISE AFTER 2030.”

MCPS is now looking at school buildings within the district as vacant. The district is using the low enrollment figures at this time which Swanson alludes to above, as if the enrollment will never increase. It would behoove the district to read Swanson’s information above to see that in JUST 4 YEARS THE ENROLLMENT WILL INCREASE.

Even though this information was given to the district in 2004, it is still valid today as the premise of much of his study is the effects of the baby boomers and the subsequent generations (echo boomers, echo echo boomers).

Swanson’s report was given to the district in November of 2004 after the 3 school closures and other school closures in prior years. The school board did not have this specific information; however, I was told there were other demographers who gave similar information to the district.

In fact, any changes to the buildings, whether to renovate, lease, or sell would be costly to the district. As Larry Swanson said in this presentation the best thing to do is to “ride it out”, that is to adjust in small ways, not big ways, which are not so disruptive to the district and the population as a whole.

               Figure 1 "...before enrollment begins to rise after 2030”

At the Walk-Through at Prescott School on September 18^th, 2025, I heard more than once from an MCPS school official that the MCPS enrollment was down 600 students. There have also been newspaper articles reporting on MCPS issues that discuss low enrollment.

Once again, Larry Swanson reveals that the enrollment will start an upward swing in just 4 years. Low enrollment currently does not justify huge changes in building infrastructure.  nor does it justify leasing our current school buildings nor selling a school building.

When school funding is not adequate for the spending of a district, the district needs to look at other areas to cut such as administration and program cuts.

Thank you for reading my information given to the MCPS school district in 2004 which is still relevant today.        Jeanne Joscelyn, jeannejoscelyn@hotmail.com , 406-721-9027

 

 

 

TOO MANY ADMINISTRATIVE POSITIONS WITHIN MISSOULA COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS PLACING OUR SCHOOL BUIILDINGS AT RISK!

 PSM was viewing the Missoula County Public Schools website and noticed that there were too many administrative positions - far more than there were a few years ago! Take a look! There are TEN administrative positions just in the administration building. This is up from a few years ago. This is not appropriate when the school district is looking into MCPS facilities and what to do with them - perhaps sell them. Administration and some expensive programs are where the district needs to cut,  not our valuable school buildings! Prescott School could be cleaned and maintained with most likely  a fraction of what the administration is costing the district. We need Prescott School! 

Using copy and paste from the district website these are the administrative positions:

Micah Hill

Admin A

Superintendent

View Profilefor Micah Hill

Tracy Long

Admin A

Executive Administrative Assistant

View Profilefor Tracy Long

Vincent Giammona

Admin A

Assistant Superintendent PK-8

View Profilefor Vincent Giammona

Amy Shattuck

Admin A

Assistant Superintendent 9-12

View Profilefor Amy Shattuck

Bridget Allen

Admin A

Assistant Superintendent Office Specialist

View Profilefor Bridget Allen

Jenna Briggs

Admin A

Director of Academic & Communication Services

View Profilefor Jenna Briggs

Kacie Laslovich

Admin A

Director of Academic & Community Services

View Profilefor Kacie Laslovich

Ann Bates

Admin A

District Secretary/PD Specialist/Traffic Ed

View Profilefor Ann Bates

Cristi Migliaccio

Admin A

Enrollment Specialist

View Profilefor Cristi Migliaccio

Jennifer Savage

Admin A

Communications Specialist

View Profilefor Jennifer Savage

Note by Prescott School Missoula - When walking into the new administration building in February of this year (2026) to see where the Board Room was as I was planning to make a public comment later in the evening,  I had an unfortunate incident. I have written about the incident which is too long to post here, however, one of the administrators, the Executive Director, told me, "You are making people feel uncomfortable". Yes, this really happened. I will try to post the incident on this blog soon. 

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Prescott School Missoula Advocates - Principal Ideas for Prescott School Missoula Advocates

 

Prescott School Missoula Advocates 

Principal Ideas for Prescott School Missoula Advocates

**The main purpose of Prescott School Missoula Advocates (PSMA) is to encourage and work toward the re-opening of Prescott School in Missoula, a public-school serving Missoula since 1892.

**PSMA strongly discourages the use of this school or any of the other Missoula schools for housing or any other purposes. Our schools were paid for and built for the public-school children of Missoula.

**Maintenance of Prescott School has been neglected. Due to the lack of maintenance of Prescott School for approximately 20 years, PSMA is advocating for the past negligence to be corrected, bringing Prescott School to 2004 levels or even better. (The private school which was leasing Prescott School for many years was in breach of contract in maintenance of the school and grounds.)

**Keeping Prescott School in good condition, both inside and outside, is important. A school which is well maintained can re-open more quickly. PSMA is against planned obsolescence.

**We encourage the district to keep the historical nature of the building intact. Keeping the original design without renovation would be optimal. Basic maintenance is important, leaving the charm of the original classrooms intact.

**Prescott School could be open to both public-school students from the Rattlesnake and public-school students from other over-crowded schools – a practice that was implemented by MCPS in the past.

**The grades to be housed in Prescott School do not need to be decided before the basic maintenance is completed – many grades have been housed in Prescott throughout the years.

**Re-opening the lower level of the school can be done first.  Gradually add upper-level classrooms when ready to be used. Housing some students that are currently being bused (which is many!) out of the Rattlesnake would be optimal. A smaller school offers a better education. (“Dollars & Sense, The Cost Effectiveness of Small Schools”, 2002)

**Some maintenance can be done at a slower pace than others and could be done after the opening of the school.

**PSMA encourages using a positive approach on areas that are more costly such as heating systems and roof issues, in contrast to a negative approach which disincentivizes looking at a myriad of possibilities. There are sure to be more efficient alternatives to the higher cost items or fixing rather than replacing.  Additionally, there could be grants, either state, local, or federal.

**PSMA believes that volunteers could be an integral part of the maintenance needs of our schools as time and ability permits. One area could be grounds maintenance.  Other maintenance needs (both inside and outside) could be approved and overseen by the district.

**PSMA would like to keep tabs on enrollment trends.

**PSMA would like to collect old classroom pictures to be displayed in the school, on a web page, and perhaps on social media.                                                                                    Continued page 2 ------------à

**PSMA reminds the district and others that Prescott School was and is still a much-beloved school, so dear to many students, teachers, families, and the neighbor’s hearts.

 **Prescott School has been an important public school since 1892; Its history is important to the Rattlesnake area and to the entire city of Missoula and needs to continue into the current century!

** Prescott School Missoula Advocates would like to get on the same page with other entities/groups/neighborhood councils, that pertain to the future of Prescott School. PSMA’s reason for existing is advocating for the reopening of Prescott School. Again, PSMA is against using Prescott School for housing or other ideas.

** Thank you for supporting one of Missoula’s greatest assets – Prescott School! **Thank you to all the proponents of neighborhood schools!

Please contact the Missoula school district and let them know that we must keep Prescott School as a school, as it has been for more than a century (outside of the 20-year inappropriate private school lease)! We must not let a private school determine the fate of yet another public school (St. Joseph’s at Roosevelt School)! We need Prescott School for many reasons (many students are bused to other schools).  Maintaining our existing assets is a wiser use of our limited financial resources instead of building another school. Other neighborhood schools need reopening as well. Rattlesnake taxpayers are sending millions to MCPS.  A complete look at the spending will reveal where cuts can be made. Thank you!

Email addresses: micahhill@mcps.mt.us (Superintendent), publiccomment@mcps.mt.us (Board of Trustees, Missoula County Public Schools)  and mailing address:

Missoula County Public Schools, 990 South Ave. W.  Building A, Missoula, MT 59801 Attn: Superintendent Hill and Board of Trustees, Missoula County Public Schools

 

Contact info for Prescott School Missoula Advocates – text 406-303-0703

**For past Prescott School information see – prescottschoolmissoula.blogspot.com and for      more recent information see – Saveprescottschool on Facebook.

This draft was written in July of 2025 by Jeanne Joscelyn, Prescott School Missoula Advocate.