Sam Scott’s Basin home sits next door to a small, long-vacant white house just off Basin Street owned by the Church of the Nazarene. When she heard of locals’ plan to find housing for a future schoolteacher, she thought of the property and called the pastor.
The church quickly agreed to loan the home to an incoming teacher rent-free for an indefinite period, but noted that it would need a bit of work, as The Monitor reported last month. As we move toward mid-August, it seems increasingly likely that Basin’s 130-year-old elementary school, which entered non-operational status in June, will not open for this coming school year.
Still, a committed group of Basin residents are working to put the school on a path to reopening, which requires a teacher and at least two students. Over the past six weeks, as the school board has navigated the administrative shut down, a handful of community members have banded together to boost school financing, marketing, and student and teacher recruitment.
The securing of the church-owned home off Basin Street aligns with that last objective, but the empty house, which was last used several years ago, is not exactly tenant-ready. The volunteers are now rushing to fix it up, hoping to help attract a new teacher. Before the most recent tenant passed, he expressed a wish to donate the house to the nearby church. The pastor accepted the offer and has since mainly used the home for Sunday school.
Some years ago, the roof sprang a few leaks, water was cut off, and the home has been left to languish. Basin Water and Sewer Board Director DeDe Rhodes, who is deeply involved in the renovations, says there’s a great deal of work to be done.
Rhodes and her husband Richard, a retired firefighter, have considerable experience with this work, having rebuilt Basin’s old grocery store three years ago after it caved in. They turned it into a new home for their children and grandchildren after their rent in Belgrade skyrocketed.
The Rhodes’ to-do list for the house is extensive. So far, three water-damaged areas of the ceiling have been repaired, some painting has been done, and about $2,700 worth of supplies have been purchased. They still need to replace carpets with wood flooring, fix a dresser, install a new washer and dryer and a refrigerator donated by the Arizona-based son of a Basin resident, plus a gas stove, microwave, two sinks, a new propane tank, and new water and gas lines.
Then there’s tiling the kitchen ceiling and floor, repainting the kitchen, and redecorating throughout. Also pitching in, school board trustee Scott Brock is redoing the tub, installing a new shower valve, waterproofing the bath, and putting in new bathroom tiles.
The 66-year-old has been a tile setter for decades and, hearing of locals’ struggles with the school’s closure during board meetings, decided to leverage his skills to help out. “When we had one of our meetings and this came up I was like ‘Well, I’ve got a skill I can throw into that real easy’,” he said. “I saw the need for it, so I just offered to do it.”
Although a member of the board, Brock is acting purely as a community member in renovating the bathroom. Neither the school board nor the county Schools Superintendent, who oversees Basin Elementary, have been involved in the house’s procurement or renovations.
DeDe Rhodes’ work for the school extends beyond the renovations. She has given nine Basin parents attendance commitment forms. As of Aug. 5, one student had committed to attend the school for the coming school year, should it reopen, and at least one more has expressed interest.
Rhodes, who has built homes with Habitat for Humanity, said she has always strived to make Basin stronger. “We’ve been helping the community from the time we moved here,” she said, referring to their arrival some 40 years ago. “It’s just how you’re raised.”
Sam Scott – who runs a ranch in Ronan and spent much of her life as a schoolteacher – said she would have loved such an opportunity back when she was teaching. “I was in basements and crashing on couches,” she said. “Nothing was affordable.” A future teacher will have to pay utilities while living in the house, but nothing for rent.
Rhodes is confident the volunteers can make the house livable by the end of August, but after a meeting with superintendent Sarah Eyer, expects the school to remain non-operational for the coming school year. Still, Basin has until June 2028 to bring the school back to life.
Volunteers are shouldering the full cost of renovations, which the Rhodes estimate will come to $3,500, not counting labor. Sam Scott said they welcome donations and urged those interested in contributing to contact her at (406) 303-0115 or DeDe Rhodes at (406) 465-1834.
