On Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons at Boulder Elementary, 88-year-old Rhandi Rachlis settles into one of the small colored squares on the kindergarten classroom rug, joining a class of five-year-olds for story time.
It’s a scene that has become familiar since she arrived at the school last fall, but one that represents a significant change after more than two decades at another Jefferson County school.
For 22 years, Rachlis served as a “foster grandparent” at Basin Elementary, working with students of all ages. When the school entered non-operational status last June, she faced a choice: retire from the volunteer work that had defined much of her adult life in Montana, or start fresh somewhere new.
