Members of the Board

Kathy Buxton-Malm, Director

Kathy’s family moved to Blackfoot when she was four and she attended school in Blackfoot graduating from Blackfoot High in 1972. She has always wanted to be a teacher and began her pursuit after graduation when she attended a year of college. Her dream came to a momentary stop when she married and became a mother to five beautiful children. When her youngest went to first grade, she was given a sweet financial gift from her mother, who had just passed away, that allowed her to go back to college and receive a degree in education. Her dream came true twenty years later.

She began teaching Math in Idaho Falls at Hillcrest High School in August of 1992 and after two great years, she was asked to come to Blackfoot High and teach Math at her alma mater. In 2009, she moved to Mountain View Middle School and returned to college to receive her Masters in Administration. In February of 2012, she accepted the position of principal at Fort Hall Elementary.

This was a new experience for Kathy, being at the elementary level instead of the secondary, but the rewards were so great in learning a new culture and experiencing the joy of young children learning. She retired in August of 2020.

Kathy feels that the joy and highlight of teaching or leading a school is getting to know the students and families. For Kathy, there is no greater joy than to look at the faces of students who have worked so hard, and to see new understanding on their faces. She has had the privilege of working with students from all ages, abilities, and walks of life and appreciates the many valuable lessons they have taught her. Her dream to be a teacher was, “one of the best realities of my life, and I look forward to many more years of serving children in various ways during my retirement.”