Deer Park - Established 1886 - 140 years and counting with your help on our levy request!
Deer Park is the oldest active school in Flathead Valley. As a small rural school, we are proud of our heritage, history and academic excellence.
The 2026 School Election ballot will be requesting a $110,000 operational levy to be used for staff salaries.
We are holding two Community Meetings to discuss the District's needs and answer any questions:
Saturday, April 18th @ 10 a.m.
Monday, April 27th @ 6:30 p.m.
If you miss our Community Meetings but still have questions, please contact the office. We're more than happy to chat!
Why do we need these funds?
It's no surprise to our District residents that the cost of living in the Flathead Valley has dramatically increased over the past few years. By raising staff salaries, we will be able to not only retain the amazing staff we have but also remain competitive with other schools in the valley to attract new staff when we have open positions.
Our staff is the reason that we've received several academic awards over the past few years and continue to maintain high test scores.
In 2023, we won the National Blue Ribbon Award!
In 2025, US Newsweek named us one of the best elementary schools!
We currently have the 2nd highest percentage of Flathead Valley students at or above state proficiency in ELA and Math.
The 2026-2027 budget has decreased $12,675.20 from the 2025-2026 budget, making it even harder to make ends meet.
Our buildings are aging and additional preventative maintenance is needed. We are looking to add a part time maintenance position to address these issues. We take pride in our campus and want to see the facilities last as long as possible. Mandatory expenses, such as utilities and supply costs, continue to rise. Spending more on these required expenditures means there’s less funds for staffing.
Did you know?
May 2001 was the last Bond that was passed by Deer Park voters, which was paid off in 2011.
There has not been a levy imposed on district residents this century.
Estimated Tax Impact:
$100,000 valued house - $17.86 per year
$300,000 valued house - $53.57 per year
$600,000 valued house - $123.12 per year
What If The Levy Fails:
While no one wants to think about it, there may be severe consequences if the levy fails, to include but not limited to:
--Cutting athletic programs or charging for program participation
--Reducing staff numbers
--Eliminating any non-required programs, such as Crash Zone (before/after school care), summer tutoring and the summer library program
--Inability to increase preventative maintenance and campus keep-up
See how Deer Park School District compares to other schools in the valley - Check out the Flathead County Statistical Report!
May 5th, 2026 - Get ready to vote!
Ballots will be mailed out by Flathead County Election Department.