Superintendent of Schools

Overview: Superintendent of Schools

The position of the County Superintendent of Schools is elected by the public for a four-year term. As required by Montana State Law, the County Superintendent must hold a current Montana Teaching Certificate with at least three years of teaching experience. Blaine County supports 8 independent school districts, of those three consist of high school districts- Chinook, Harlem and Turner, one K-12 district- Hays Lodge Pole, four elementary districts- Bear Paw, Cleveland, North Harlem Colony and Zurich, three private schools- St. Paul’s Mission, Turner Colony and the White Clay Immersion School. There are also a large number of families home schooling their children within the county.

General supervision of public schools in the county is carried out by the County Superintendent. This supervision includes financial concerns, transportation, tuition, setting county mills for school transportation and retirement, as well as, centralized clerical and administrative functions prescribed by law. The County Superintendent assists trustees of school districts that do not employ a district superintendent or principal with: assisting and directing teachers on general duties over the four rural schools in Blaine County; assisting the trustees with budgeting and finance; recruitment; placement, evaluation and supervision of teachers; curriculum development; teacher in-service training and other school matters. Rural Blaine County schools are: Bear Paw, Cleveland, North Harlem Colony and Zurich Elementary Schools.

Home schools are also supervised by the County Superintendent.