Trustees authorize demographic and boundary study to guide enrollment and facilities planning

The Missoula County Public Schools Board of Trustees voted to authorize a demographic and boundary study to help the district align facilities, enrollment projections and future decisions about underused properties. Micah Hill, speaking for the administration, said the district will issue an RFP to “engage those who do this kind of work” and that preliminary data gathering and a report could take less than six months depending on scope.

Hill told trustees the full process, including public engagement and potential boundary‑drawing work, could extend nearer to a year and possibly two to three years for implementation of major changes. Trustees discussed whether publicly available city data could reduce cost or effort; Hill said city data are likely public but contractors still must analyze and “crunch the numbers.”

Trustees moved (Trustee Witt) and seconded (Trustee Wake) to authorize the study and to begin the procurement process; the motion passed unanimously among trustees present.

Next steps: staff will prepare an RFP describing scope and deliverables, solicit proposals from demographers, and return to the board with candidate contracts and a recommended timeline for public engagement.