The office of County Superintendent of Schools is an elected position which performs administrative, financial, legal, record keeping, and transportation supervisory services for all nine districts in Beaverhead County. The Superintendent assists school boards, educators, students, parents and taxpayers in general to understand and implement federal, state, and local laws applicable to education. The Superintendent acts as a liaison between the Montana Office of Public Instruction and local government units. The superintendent’s office is a central source of information where official acts and records are registered and preserved. Montana Coded Annotated 20-3-205 through 20-3-210 outlines the duties of the office.
Superintendent of Schools
Mike is the product of public school education in Wyoming, Idaho, and mainly Montana. A graduate of Plains High School, he attended what was then known as Western Montana College, graduating in 1975. He taught English/Language Arts and social studies in public schools for 24 years and for one year in a private academy. After earning a Masters’ degree from Western in 1983, he served as a K-12 guidance counselor. Mike taught at Western Montana College in 1988-90, before returning to the public schools.
In 2003 Mike returned to Dillon (and the University of Montana Western) to teach though a federal grant before becoming the Director of Student Teaching and Field Experiences in 2006. He was appointed Beaverhead County Superintendent of Schools in August of 2021 to serve out the term of his predecessor.
Beaverhead County Superintendents of Schools 1869 – Present
- 2021-Present: Mike Miller
- 2010-2021: Linda Marsh
- 2008-2010: Emily May Rebish
- 1987-2008: Dorothy Donovan
- 1987-1987: William White
- 1979-1986: Donna Allen
- 1970-1978: Josephine Eudaily
- 1965-1969: Annie Ames
- 1963-1964: Georgia M. Williams
- 1959-1962: Ura Stroeder
- 1951-1958: Theo Bay
- 1945-1950: Christine Opp
- 1939-1945: Margaret Sweeney
- 1934-1938: Nell Doyle
- 1929-1933: Gladys Garr
- 1927-1928: May Sprinkle
- 1923-1926: Alice Roe
- 1917-1922: Elizabeth Sutherland
- 1915-1916: Mayme French
- 1911-1914: Margaret Ross Roode
- 1907-1910: Alice Herr
- 1903-1906: Estella May Rich
- 1901-1902: Isabella Rife
- 1899-1900: Janie N. Carter
- 1897-1898: Madie Rife
- 1893-1896: Millie Coffin
- 1891-1892: A.L. Stone
- 1889-1890: Horace A. Woods
- 1888-1889: Helen E Taylor
- 1887-1888: Mary Carter
- 1882-1886: John Gannon
- 1879-1881: C. M. Shephard
- 1875-1878: W. A. Carter
- 1869-1874: J.S. Ferster
| District # | District Name | School Name(s) | Date Opened | Date Closed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bannack | Bannack | 1863 | 1947 |
| Lloyd | 1909 | |||
| Bon Accord | 1940 | |||
| Bannack-Millpoint | Millpoint | 1947 | 1978 Abandoned & annexed to Dist 10 (Dillon) | |
| 2 | Bishop/Nelson | Bishop | 1866 | |
| Nelson | 1904 | 1960 Consolidated with Dist 10 (Dillon) | ||
| 3 | Poindexter/Riverside | Poindexter | 1867 | 1898 |
| Riverside | 1897 | 1957 Consolidated to Dist 10 (Dillon) | ||
| Willow View | 1915 | Burned in 1918 | ||
| 4 | Argenta | Argenta | 1897 | 1971 Abandoned & annexed to Dist 10 (Dillon) |
| 5 | Glendale | Glendale | 1896 | 1920 Abandoned & annexed to Melrose District in Silver Bow Co. |
| Glendale | 1951 | 1959 Abandoned & annexed to Dist #10 (Dillon) | ||
| 6 | Dewey | Dewey | 1890 | 1962- Abandoned & annexed to Dist 11 (Wise River) |
| 7 | Horse Prairie/Grant | Grant | 1897 | Grant School is still operating |
| 8 | Madison/Beaverhead | Hecla | 1897 | 1932 Annexed to Dist 10 (Dillon) |
| 9 | Birch Creek | Birch Creek, Farlin, Apex | 1883 | 1966 Abandoned & attached to Dist 26 (Reichle) |
| 10 | Dillon | Dillon, Bagley, Mary Innes, Parkview North, Parkview Junior High, Dillon Middle School | 1881 | Dillon Elementary includes Parkview School and Dillon Middle School and is still in operation. |
| 11 | Wise River | Wise River | 1896 | Wise River School is still in operation. |
| 12 | Lima | Lima | 1896 | Lima K-12 Schools are still in operation. |
| 13 | Big Hole/Bristan | Bristan | 1896 | 1961 Abandoned & annexed to Dist 16 (Wisdom) |
| 14 | Red Rock | Red Rock | 1897 | 1947 Abandoned & portions attached to Dist 19, 22, and 27 |
| 15 | Kidd | Kidd | 1908 | 1926 Abandoned & rejoined with Dist 14 (Red Rock) |
| 15 | Wisdom North | McVey Creek | 1884 | 1910 Merged with Dist 16 (Wisdom) |
| 16 | Wisdom | Wisdom | 1884 | Wisdom School is still in operation. |
| 17 | Bowen | Bowen | 1893 | 1959 Abandoned & consolidated with Dist 16 (Wisdom) |
| 18 | West Fox | Fox, West Fox | 1892 | 1961 Abandoned & annexed to Dist 24 (Jackson) |
| 19 | Armstead | Armstead | 1910 | 1963 Abandoned & attached to Dist 7, 10, and 12 |
| 20 | Medicine Lodge | Medicine Lodge, Hansen, & Hildreth | 1897 | 1947 Abandoned & annexed to Dist 19 (Armstead) |
| 21 | Polaris | Scudder Creek, Polaris | 1892 | Polaris School is still in operation. |
| 22 | Dell | Dell, Gosman | 1912 | 1963 Consolidated with Dist 12 (Lima) |
| 23 | Upper Polaris | Upper Polaris | 1894 | 1911 Consolidated with Dist 11 (Wise River) |
| 23 | Upper Wise River | Upper Wise River | 1918 | 1930 Abandoned & consolidated with Dist 11 (Wise River) |
| 24 | Jackson | Jackson | 1893 | Jackson School is still in operation. |
| 25 | Jackson South | Kirk, Meadow Brook, Mountain View | 1898 | 1948 Abandoned & annexed to Dist 24 (Jackson) |
| 26 | Glen/Reichle | Willis, Rock Creek, Reichle | 1901 | Reichle School is still in operation. |
| 27 | Blacktail | Blacktail 1, 2, & 3 (Jake Flat School) |
1903 | 1958 Abandoned & annexed to Dist 10 (Dillon) |
| 28 | Fox | East Fox | 1904 | 1953 Abandoned & annexed to Dist 18 (West Fox) |
| 29 | Drummy | Drummy, Jensen | 1905 | 1938 Abandoned & consolidated with Dist 10 (Dillon) |
| 30 | Brenner | Brenner, Bloody Dick, Monument | 1905 | 1947 Abandoned & returned to Dist 7 (Grant) |
| 31 | Barrett | Barrett, Ewing, & Ryan’s Station | 1906 | 1919 Abandoned & attached to Dist 3 (Riverside) |
| 32 | Gibbons | Gibbons, North Fork | 1906 | 1968 Consolidated with Dist 16 (Wisdom) |
| 33 | Nicolia | Nicolia, Upper Nicholia, Big Sheep Creek, & Whitworth | 1906 | 1969 Abandoned & annexed to Dist 12 (Lima) |
| 34 | Millpoint | Millpoint | 1910 | 1947 Renamed Dist 1 (Bannack-Millpoint) |
| 35 | Elk Horn | Coolidge | 1918 | 1937 Abandoned & annexed to Dist 5 (Glendale) &11 (Wise River) |
| 36 | Lakeview | Lakeview, Red Rock in Alaska Basin | 1911* | 1971 Abandoned & attached to Dist 12 (Lima) |
| 37 | Jones | Jones | 1911* | 1933 Abandoned & annexed to Dist 38 (Doyle) |
| 38 | Doyle | Doyle, Excelsior, Blake | 1911* | 1965 Consolidated with Dist 36 (Lakeview) |
| 39 | Monida | Monida, Saunder | 1911* | 1953 Abandoned & consolidated with Dist 12 (Lima) |
| 40 | Upper Lakeview | Upper Lakeview, Upper Red Rock, Shambow | 1911* | 1937 Abandoned & consolidated with Dist 36 (Lakeview) |
| Beaverhead County High School | Beaverhead County High School | 1902 | Beaverhead County High School is still in operation. |
* Districts in the Centennial Valley were in Madison County prior to 1911. This explains why they were all created in Beaverhead County the same year. Some of the schools were in operation in the late 1880’s.
Compiled by Linda Marsh, 2017
Boards of Trustees 2018-2019
| School | Trustees | Term | Year Elected | Term Expires |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grant #7 | Laurie Schmidlin, Chairperson | 2 | 2017 | 2020 |
| Don Hales | 3 | 2016 | 2019 | |
| Daniel Melle | 1 | 2018 | 2019 | |
| Dillon #10 | Jed Petersen, Chairman | 3 | 2015 | 2018 |
| Kathy Hilton, Vice Chair | 3 | 2017 | 2020 | |
| Estee Aiken | 3 | 2017 | 2020 | |
| Sharon Anderson | 3 | 2018 | 2021 | |
| Todd Rouse | 3 | 2016 | 2019 | |
| Marti Laknar | 3 | 2016 | 2019 | |
| Sharon Morehouse | 3 | 2017 | 2020 | |
| BCHS | Gary Love, Chairman | 3 | 2016 | 2019 |
| Laverne Jackson, Vice Chair | 3 | 2018 | 2021 | |
| Mike Richardson | 3 | 2018 | 2021 | |
| Patti Jo Staudenmeyer | 3 | 2017 | 2020 | |
| Koy Holland | 3 | 2017 | 2020 | |
| Cory Lamey | 3 | 2016 | 2019 | |
| Pierce Rouse | 3 | 2017 | 2020 | |
| Wise River #11 | Ellenmarie Coates, Chairperson | 2 | 2017 | 2019 |
| Sam Sampson | 3 | 2018 | 2021 | |
| Raymond Schonsberg | 3 | 2017 | 2020 | |
| Lima K-12 #12 | Dan Mayer, Chairman | 3 | 2016 | 2019 |
| Kiley Martinell, Vice Chair | 3 | 2016 | 2019 | |
| Kathy Stosich | 3 | 2017 | 2020 | |
| Scott Huntsman | 3 | 2017 | 2020 | |
| Kodie Bernard | 3 | 2018 | 2021 | |
| Wisdom #16 | Ed Stede, Chairman | 3 | 2017 | 2020 |
| Paul Diaz, Jr. | 3 | 2018 | 2021 | |
| Jason Raymond | 3 | 2016 | 2019 | |
| Polaris #21 | Jennifer Tash, Chairperson | 3 | 2016 | 2019 |
| Robert Marchesseault | 3 | 2017 | 2020 | |
| Russell Harrison | 3 | 2018 | 2021 | |
| Jackson #24 | Joe Johnson, Chairman | 3 | 2018 | 2021 |
| Troy Dawson | 3 | 2017 | 2020 | |
| Michael Heiland | 3 | 2016 | 2019 | |
| Reichle #26 | John Hagenbarth, Chairman | 3 | 2018 | 2021 |
| Janet Richardson | 3 | 2016 | 2019 | |
| Dr. Justin Rhodes | 3 | 2017 | 2020 |
Fall Enrollments 2021-2022
Elementary Districts
| School | K | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | 6th | 7th | 8th | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dillon – District #10 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 734 |
| Grant – District #7 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | ||||||
| Jackson – District #24 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 7 | ||||
| Lima – District #12 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 41 | |
| Polaris – District #21 | 1 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 10 | |||||
| Reichle – District #26 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 20 |
| Wisdom – District #16 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 9 | |||
| Wise River – District #11 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 9 | ||||
| County Totals | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 833 |
High School Districts
| School | 9th | 10th | 11th | 12th | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beaverhead County High School | – | – | – | – | 325 |
| Lima – District #12 | – | – | – | – | 18 |
| County Totals | – | – | – | – | 343 |
Dillon Elementary
Unified and High School
Rural Elementary: Grant, Jackson, Reichle
Rural Elementary: Polaris, Wisdom, Wise River
The following are providing to assist parents when considering or choosing homeschool and to assist them with the notification process:
CONTACT DIRECTORY
| Name/Title | Position | Phone | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mike Miller | Superintendent of Schools | (406) 683-3737 |
OFFICE HOURS
MON – FRI:
8:00 AM to 12:00 PM
1:00 PM to 5:00 PM
The office is closed all state and federal holidays.
PHONE NUMBER
(406) 683-3737
FAX
(406) 683-3769
ADDRESS
2 South Pacific Street, Suite 7
Dillon, MT 59725