‘It’s hard to not get emotional’: Big Sky education and childcare receive cuts, spark public comments
By Jen Clancey STAFF WRITER
Big Sky Resort Area District opened the first half of its annual grant review on Tuesday, Oct. 20 at The Wilson Hotel. The yearly process splits millions of resort tax revenue across nonprofits requesting dollars for projects, and often causes discussion about what to prioritize—or what not to—through available funds. Tuesday’s decisions are tentative, and will receive final approval at a Thursday, Oct. 22 meeting.
This year, Resort Tax is dividing over $6.6 million across eight categories, but one sum stuck out—first, because it won’t receive dollars from the annual grant cycle, and second, because its $30 million price tag will require voter approval.
The Resort Tax board opened Tuesday’s meeting discussing a large-scale project, between $22-30 million, to connect the Gallatin Canyon County Water and Sewer District and the Firelight Meadows WSD to Big Sky’s centralized wastewater system. The amount requires approval from voters, and leaders expressed it would take time to show where those dollars would go, and when. Resort Tax tentatively supported the effort.
The board then moved on to less daunting requests ranging from around $30,000 to $999,999 from local organizations across Big Sky. First, the board recommended an adjustment to Big Sky OUT’s $30,000 ask, lopping off just over two-thirds of its request.
“I think this is a fantastic organization. I think it is great for our community,” Board Member Michelle Kendziorski said. “It still feels very event-heavy for me right now, so I worry about that.” While considering grants, board members referenced a community survey which received 167 total responses about what projects community members would like to see funded.
Board member Grace Young noted that Big Sky Pride may benefit from wellness district funds in the future. After discussion, the board approved a $9,500 total for Big Sky OUT in a 3-1 vote.
Next, the board moved unanimously to approve $999,999 for the Arts Council of Big Sky’s building transformation, a project that’s been underway since the Town Center building’s purchase in 2024. The board had previously recommended the arts council split its ask for its annual grant review, and this is the second of two yearly requests.
“It’s nice to finally see this come to pass,” board chair Kevin Germain said. The Warren Miller Performing Arts Center also received unanimous support for its $250,000 ask for cultural programming in Big Sky, while Music in the Mountains, the yearly summer concert series hosted by the arts council, received a recommended reduction to $245,500.
Gallatin River Task Force received $849,935 in support across five of its requests for assistance in river restoration, monitoring, conservation and coordination for better water management.
Taking the conversation to land, Grow Wild requested just over $360,000 for its programming of Alpenscapes, habitat conservation and stewardship. The latter would create a Community Forester role, a long sought after goal for the organization. Germain asked Jen Mohler, executive director of Grow Wild, when the forester would be hired.
“It depends when we get the funding,” she said. If the position were fully funded, she said, they could hire someone within six months. Grow Wild received $348,489 of its requested funds.
One of the recommended reductions was for Big Sky Sustainability Network Organization, which requested $260,000 for its climate action plan implementation. The plan would install wildfire resilience, commuter incentives, waste diversion and collaborative partnership programs.
Board member John Zirkle explained that the library, which submitted a request in the education and childcare category, and SNO share a similar issue. Both would typically receive funding from a local government, rather than resort tax dollars.
“And so for us as a community, does it make sense for Resort Tax to be supporting this, you know, close to 70% of the project? I don’t have a direct question for the applicant, but that is generally what’s giving me a little bit of pause,” Zirkle said.
The motion for $200,000 passed unanimously. In response Big Sky SNO Executive Director Lizzie Peyton gave public comment.
“Our work is likely to be threatened,” Peyton said. “We’re a small and nimble organization … and we’re just really proud of the work we’ve done and the collaborations we’ve built in the community.” She urged the board to reconsider its $60,000 reduction.
Visit Big Sky and Big Sky Chamber of Commerce were the only requestors in the economic development category and each received unanimous approval for a total of $1,125,000.
Education a lightning rod after zero dollars tentatively awarded for community school
The board opened the afternoon session with an over-requested education and childcare category. First on the list was Big Sky Community School’s campus expansion request of $230,000 to purchase a building next to its facility for more capacity. After one year, the school’s enrollment grew from 16 to 57, with another 17 students on a waitlist.
“I’ve said this for many years to Discovery, that, you know, public tax dollars are not meant to go to private schools,” Germain said. He noted that his perspective is just one among five on the board, but it’s difficult for him to approve resort tax funds for private education.
Newer board member Taylor Kissel noted that he spent many hours considering the community school’s request.
“I think that Big Sky Community School is offering tremendous programming, and I am all for having them in our community,” he said. “At this time, I haven’t been able to convince myself that it makes sense for public funds to go to this.”
The board voted unanimously to plan for $0 in funds to go toward the community school’s request. Morningstar Learning Center and Big Sky Discovery Academy also received a reduction in their requests from $600,000 to $500,000 and $395,000 to $150,000, respectively. Other requests that the board tentatively reduced were Wellness in Action’s $126,000 to $104,948, Big Well Big Sky’s entire $35,000 request for its Navigator Network and Big Sky Ski Education Foundation’s $52,000 request, which the board approved at $10,000 instead.
The remaining requests approved in full included: the Big Sky Community Library for $107,470; World Language Initiative-MT for $60,000; Big Sky Community Food Bank for $97,000; Big Sky Community Housing Trust’s collective for $1,050,000; Big Sky Transportation District for $25,288; and Southwest Montana Mountain Bike Association for $50,000.
Many public comments returned to the x-ed out Big Sky Community School project, and what the overall reduction in private school requests meant to parents and school administrators. Patrick Sullivan, co-founder and a parent of a student at BSCS, expressed disappointment in the board’s decision-making.
“Ten thousand dollars for the ski team that supports 145 kids and zero for every other kid is offensive as a parent,” Sullivan said.
“It’s hard to not get emotional when the response is, no, no, no. It’s like, what are we doing wrong? What are we doing wrong?” Sullivan asked. He concluded that BSRAD and the community foundations, as well as all the schooling options in Big Sky, need to work together to better serve local kids.
Jeremy Harder, head of BSCS, shared his impression of the decision. A former BSSD teacher for 25 years, he took the helm of the new community school last year.
“The zero-dollar decision hits hard for many reasons that time will not allow. But I don’t think we should draw lines in the sand around youth of any certain age or how they learn best or certainly where they learn best. That’s not our call,” Harder said. “Our service to this young community of learners is to provide equal support to each of them, no matter where they come from, what age they are, or what school they attend.”
Julie Edwards, interim head of school of Big Sky Discovery Academy, asked the board to reconsider its plan for reducing the academy’s request to $150,000 solely for tuition assistance. The request originally planned to cover essential educational materials and support for staffing and facility costs.
“I just really want to drive that point home, as I think that Discovery and the other schools have been working so, so hard at building those true commitments to every child in our community,” Edwards said.
Gaither of the food bank also added that the reduction of Be Well Big Sky’s request doesn’t reflect the impact it makes on community members.
“The impact of knowing that the Navigator Network is here in Big Sky is real, and I see it every day. I would tell you that the Navigator Network is a vital piece of our health and safety for Big Sky,” she said. Shannon Steele, one of the founders of the navigator network noted that although Big Sky Wellness District dollars could one day support her mission, those funds aren’t available yet.
“I think in the meantime, as Be Well Big Sky, we’re reliant on philanthropic dollars, public dollars and individual donors who care about our work and our mission until we get there,” Steele said.
Some grant pools were under their budgets after Tuesday’s decisions. BSRAD Executive Director shared that there could be an opportunity to move remaining dollars to other categories, but the decision should be made carefully. A subcommittee would prepare a plan before Thursday if the board decides to make that change.
“You can, at that point, determine whether you want to move those dollars into different projects or not,” Bierschwale said. The board offered head-nods and thumbs up for the idea.
Tomorrow, Oct. 22, the board will bring any potential funding changes to the table and finalize its grants for each of the organizations. The meeting will be held at The Wilson Hotel starting at 4 p.m.
