Schottle makes community connections

Her supporters describe Darlene Schottle as a superintendent who likes to be visible in her community.

The Kalispell schools superintendent attends nearly every school event. And City Council meetings. And community gatherings.

“She’s very well liked … always professional,” said Kari Gabriel, Kalispell city councilwoman. “She knows most teachers by name.”

Schottle, 55, is one of two finalists for the top job in Spokane Public Schools, competing with Nancy Stowell, who was appointed to the position by the five-member school board when Brian Benzel retired last year.

Knowing the names of every teacher might prove difficult for Schottle if she’s chosen as Spokane’s new superintendent. Spokane is more than five times the size of Kalispell, a district of 5,200 students in northwest Montana.

Kalispell schools are divided into two districts – one for elementary and one for secondary. That means Schottle answers to 11 board members and balances two separate budgets that total $34 million. That’s compared with Spokane’s $293 million annual operating budget and five board members.

“The ability to connect in a positive way and build strong relationships with the community and with your staff is an ability that is transferable to all different sizes of district,” said Harry Amend, the superintendent of the Coeur d’Alene School District.

Schottle replaced Amend in Kalispell, where he worked for three years before moving to Idaho.

“It would be the No. 1 tool that a superintendent brings to a job, and my understanding … is that Darlene has done an exemplary job in building those relationships,” Amend said.

Schottle said that she was not looking for a new job when she saw Spokane’s opening and that this is the only job she’s applied for.

“Every five years a community looks at their five-year plan and begins to look ahead, and we are at that point in this (Montana) community,” Schottle said. It’s a natural time to move on or make a step up, she said.

Spokane, she said, has something she couldn’t turn down: It’s in proximity to her three grown children and other family members who are scattered among British Columbia, Oregon and Montana. Schottle is a native Canadian. Spokane “is a beautiful place,” she said. “It has wonderful access to outdoor activities and yet it’s just big enough” for arts and culture.

Before moving to Montana in 2003, Schottle worked for 18 years in the 62,000-student Reno, Nev., school system, moving through the ranks from teacher to principal and then administrator.

She earned her master’s and doctoral degrees at the University of Nevada.

Her last position in Reno was as the area superintendent; she was responsible for about 25 of the district’s more than 100 school buildings.

Since moving to Kalispell five years ago, supporters say, she has helped to build the first new Class 2A high school in Montana in 25 years by securing a $53 million bond from voters. The district also built a new middle school and remodeled the old high school.

“We are proud of what we have done as a community and staff,” Schottle said. “It’s time to take the next steps, and I want to (leave) at what is sort of a natural juncture.”