Upgraded bathrooms, flag football at Mary M. Knight

The Mary M. Knight School District on Aug. 30 opened its doors to 170 students in kindergarten through high school.

The school in Matlock has 18 teachers. The second-graders are the largest class with 21 students.

Kennedy Fieldstad is the new kindergarten teacher, and Deanna Niles is the new third-grade teacher. Josie Dewey has switched from teaching kindergarten to educating fifth-graders.

Josh Stoney, the assistant principal last school year, is the new principal. Tom Kerr is athletic director and dean of students.

"We want our students to grow through the school year academically and socially," said Superintendent Matt Mallery, who is beginning his fifth year at the post.

Over the summer, workers remodeled the four student bathrooms in the elementary school, including new flooring and faucets. The bathrooms were constructed in the 1960s.

"A couple had a lot of dry rot in the sub floor," Mallery said.

The district bought a new van and is purchasing a second electric school bus, courtesy of a $525,000 Department of Ecology grant. In summer 2024, the district will use a modernization grant to replace all the windows at the high school, Mallery said.

Turnout for the football team was more than double from last fall. New this school year is co-ed flag football open to students in grades five through seven. That means there will be times tackle football is going on one side of the field, flag football on the other.

"It will be a good way to grow the program," Mallery said.

The district plans to buy a portable, which it hopes is on the campus by Christmas, he said.

The school board this fall will start talking about putting a replacement levy on the ballot, perhaps in February, Mallery said.

The first quarter ends Oct. 31, and winter break is Dec. 20-Jan. 1. Spring break is April 1-5, graduation is scheduled for June 8, and June 11 is the tentative last day of the school year.