COLUMBIA FALLS — A small, rural school in Northwest Montana was recently bestowed national recognition being named a 2023 National Blue Ribbon School.
Deer Park School, a K-8 public school in Columbia Falls is one of only three schools to receive the honor this year in Montana.
“We were incorporated as a school a year before Montana became a state, so we’re the oldest continuously running school in the Flathead Valley,” said Deer Park School teacher Pam Clark.
A school with a lot of history just made more after receiving the 2023 National Blue Ribbon Award from the US Department of Education.
“Very validating, a small school like ours to receive something like that and be recognized,” said Deer Park School Superintendent Sheri Modderman.
The award is given annually to schools that go above and beyond in overall academic performance. Modderman said her school received recognition thanks to high test scores in mathematics and language arts.
“So, we focus a lot on individual students and each student is very unique to all of us, and we put a lot of time and effort into those kids, and it shows, it shows in what they do and what they accomplish.”
Deer Park is home to 173 students and 25 staff members, one of whom is teacher Pam Clark. Clark said the small, rural school prides itself on giving students hands-on learning experiences.
“Which I really think helps feed into their ability to take their experiences and the writing that they do and put it into those tests, which are just on a computer and they’re answering questions, but if you don’t have the life experiences you’re not going to do as well.”
Clark said the recognition belongs to all staff and students who have called Deer Park home over the years.
“A validation, and I feel very strongly that it’s due, I’ve only been here for five years, but there are lots of teachers here who have spent most of their career in this school, like 30 years, and that really speaks to the community and the leadership throughout the years.”
Pam and Sheri will represent Deer Park School on the biggest stage when they travel to Washington D.C. in November to receive recognition.
“I’m also the website coordinator and I cannot wait to put a Blue Ribbon right there, so everybody knows we’re a Blue Ribbon School,” said Clark.
