MANHATTAN PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Dear Manhattan Community,

As we cross the first quarter of the school year, I want to share a quick update on how we are bringing our district mission—"Enter here to learn, go forth to serve"—to life. Over the last nine weeks, our community partnerships have made our schools safer, healthier, and more deeply connected to our town.

First, we are incredibly proud of our new School Resource Officer (SRO), Tatum Selway, who joined us this past August to serve all three of our schools. Thanks to a fantastic partnership between the Town of Manhattan and the School District, Officer Selway is on campus every day to keep our students and staff safe. Beyond her safety duties, she focuses on being a friendly face, building positive relationships, and mentoring our kids. She is also working closely with our principals and safety teams to make sure our emergency plans are strong, reinforcing our commitment to a secure learning environment.

At the same time, we have made amazing progress in our school cafeterias, thanks to our new kitchen manager, Johanna Marx, and her dedicated team. Johanna is leading a big push to serve fresh, local meats. Thanks to a very generous donation of pigs and a cow from the Swan Land Company—and help from the Producer Partnership in Livingston—our students are already enjoying high-quality, Montana-raised protein in their school meals. This is a huge step toward our goal of serving 100% Montana beef! Johanna is also implementing a Harvest of the Month program to bring fun farming lessons into classrooms and invite local ranchers into the lunchroom. Because school food budgets are very tight, Mike Swan's donations have been a massive help, freeing up funds so we can purchase more fresh fruits and vegetables from local farmers.

If you are a local rancher and would like to help support our school meal program, please reach out to the Producer Partnership directly, or contact me at the district office.

Alongside these community programs, our classrooms have been deeply engaged in our primary academic focus for the 2026–2027 school year: strengthening our implementation of Performance-Based Education. Throughout this first quarter, our teachers and students have worked hard to make learning more transparent. We are already seeing the benefits of this shift, as students gain a clearer understanding of what they know, what they can do, and exactly how they are growing as learners and contributors.

Finally, I want to extend a heartfelt thank you to our incredible students, dedicated staff, supportive school board trustees, wonderful parents and families, and community partners for making the start of this school year such a wonderful success. It is your collective hard work and Tiger pride that truly makes Manhattan special.

As we look forward with excitement, we also pause to remember and honor the lasting legacies of two beloved figures in our school history who recently passed away: former Superintendent Dale Moore and longtime teacher and staff member Mrs. Phyllis Grue. Their immense dedication, care, and service helped to shape the very foundation of Manhattan Schools, and our hearts go out to their families as we honor their memory.

Sincerely,

Brian K. Ayers