Flathead Special Education Cooperative
PO Box 84
305 3rd AV E
Kalispell, MT 59903
Cheryl Russell, Director
Phone: (406) 257-1852
Charmaine Stappler, Business Manager
Phone: (406) 257-1857
FAX: (406) 257-4137
May 1, 2020
Flathead Special Education Cooperative Staff and Families,
I hope this letter finds you all safe and healthy. I understand this is an unprecedented time in our
history and things may feel uncertain as we face our new reality. This too will pass and we will be able
to have some of our normalcy of routines back in our lives soon! As you know Flathead Special
Education Cooperative (FSEC) is an extension of our valley-wide rural member schools. We partner
with 16 rural school districts, which includes 17 schools and our own FSEC school. The final school
board meetings took place on April 30, 2020 and each school-board within our member school
districts and surrounding schools in the Flathead Valley voted to continue with remote distance
learning. I also believe it is in our students’ best interest to remain closed for the completion of the
2019 / 2020 school year. It saddens me but, the Flathead Special Education Cooperative will not open
this spring.
While, we miss our students and families dearly, our number one priority as a school is to always
protect and serve our students first. Given the Governor’s directive and the stringent guidelines set
forth by the Flathead City-County Health Department it is extremely impractical to think we can follow
those guidelines with any kind of fidelity. We would be imposing a risk to our students, staff and
families if we were to open and that is a risk that can’t be taken.
Our Special Education Teachers, Related Service Professionals and support staff will continue to
communicate with our families and students to meet individual needs through remote and distance
learning opportunities via safe online platforms, packets, phone calls, etc. Our goal is to communicate
and collaborate with our families and students without the addition of undue burdens. We strive to be
sensitive to your needs while reaching out to meet our educational mission for our students as best as
possible. Please feel free to call our office at 257-1857 if you have any concerns or questions.
We know and understand the hardships distance learning has created for our families, and we are
grateful for your continued support during such an unprecedented and challenging time. We
appreciate your participation and communication with us. Most of all we hope that this is a time
when you can share laughter, love, joy and make memories as a family that will last a life-time!
Warm Regards,
Cheryl Russell
Fostering Success for Every Child
Bissell - Cayuse Prairie - Creston - Deer Park - Fair-Mont-Egan - Fortine - Kila - Marion
Pleasant Valley - Smith Valley - Somers - Swan River - Swan Lake-Salmon - Trego – West Glacier –
West Valley