Heart Butte School District to lay off more than 30 and accept five resignations
The Heart Butte School Board is preparing to make significant cutbacks as it plans to terminate 31 staff members in an effort to reduce district costs. The board will also decide on accepting the resignations of five individuals, including acting district administrator Shannon Augare.
The impending terminations include various positions such as 11 teacher’s assistants, two mental health professionals, a substitute art teacher, the sub-administrative secretary, a truancy officer, and 15 custodial, maintenance, and kitchen staff members.
Among the five resignations are two teachers, the athletic director, a truancy officer, and Augare himself. In his resignation letter, Augare expressed disappointment in the board’s decision to move forward with the terminations and claimed that there is no clear plan in place.
A total of 68 staff positions are currently listed on the district’s website, indicating the substantial impact these terminations and resignations will have on the school community.
These developments come in the aftermath of the board’s decision to place Heart Butte School District Superintendent Mike Tatsey on administrative leave and conduct an audit of the school’s finances. While the findings of the audit have not yet been released, auditors did provide an overview of the district’s financial history during a presentation last month.
Tatsey had previously confirmed reports of staff testing positive for drugs within the school and revealed that Blackfeet Family Services had removed children from a group home under his oversight.
The board had appointed Augare, a counselor and former legislator, as the acting district administrator during Tatsey’s absence. However, Augare’s resignation letter emphasized the need for a more thoughtful and logical approach to cost-cutting measures, suggesting that the current strategy could jeopardize the school’s functionality and pose significant risks.
Neither Augare nor Principal Sandi Campbell were consulted about the terminations, according to the resignation letter. Augare stated that Campbell would serve as acting district administrator until a successor is appointed.
There have been concerns from both community members and board members about the school’s financial decisions. For instance, the district had to issue a check for $112,000 for purchasing cards known as P-cards, which function as work credit cards. The exact number of distributed cards and the reason for their temporary disablement remains unclear.
Board member Edith Horn-Wagner raised additional concerns about Tatsey’s use of school funds to purchase rodeo equipment, such as bucking chutes and panels. While the equipment was loaned out by the district, there were criticisms regarding inadequate inventory management and the absence of a proper memorandum of understanding for its usage.
As the Heart Butte School Board proceeds with its meeting next week, the community remains apprehensive about the future of the district, especially given the scale of staff terminations and the resignation of the acting district administrator.
