Keith Miller focused on 'what's best for kids' as he readies to lead Butte School District

Keith Miller’s mother grew up on a cattle ranch near Drummond, and Miller enjoyed time there with his grandfather.

Decades later, Miller admits his abundant boyhood energy sometimes rattled his grandfather.

“My grandpa was a really slow, methodical kind of guy, and I needed to have a foot nailed down all the time,” Miller said during a recent interview. “I was kind of all over the place a little bit.”

Now, Miller, 57, is poised to succeed Judy Jonart as superintendent of the Butte School District after serving a year as assistant superintendent and otherwise working for the district since 1996.

This new gig will likely require feet that aren't nailed down.

Miller, a Butte native, demonstrated an early aptitude for umpiring softball and baseball. Later, he officiated high school basketball and softball.

He was asked how being an umpire might prepare him for the superintendent job. He laughed.

“Well, you get that there’s going to be times when half the people like what you say and the other half doesn't,” Miller said.

Public school education seems forever fraught with challenges. Some are systemic, some are social, some are local.

Roses and thorns

Miller knows that when he becomes the chief caretaker of the Butte School District on July 1 there will be roses and thorns.

“Every once in a while, I have to pinch myself when I reflect on the quality of programs that have been implemented in the Butte School District,” he said. “I am proud to have had the opportunity to help support initiatives such as Montana Reads, Butte Pathways Academy, Olweus Bullying Prevention, Unified Champion Schools and Marzano’s High Reliability Schools, among others.”

Yet remaining challenges are real.

“Public education is facing a rapidly evolving set of challenges, and two of the most visible right now are artificial intelligence and cellphone use,” Miller said. “These tools bring incredible opportunities for learning and connection, but they also require thoughtful boundaries and intentional guidance. Our district has worked hard to stay ahead of the game in helping students use technology in ways that support learning, safety and well-being rather than distract from it.”

Four ongoing challenges apart from technology include recruiting and retaining staff, maintaining sufficient funding, keeping schools safe and engaging students’ families in meaningful ways, he said.

The Butte School District’s enrollment has experienced a gradual decline since the 2020-21 school year, when it was 4,185; the current school year total is 4,033. The district includes nine schools. They include Butte High, Butte Pathways Academy, East Middle and six elementary schools — Emerson, Hillcrest, Kennedy, Margaret Leary, West and Whittier.

A lost art

Miller said serving as superintendent will require tapping fundamental relationship skills, many of which he said he learned from his mother, Lillian.

“She taught me early in life that relationships matter and the most important communication technique is listening,” he said. “Relationships are everything in education. I tell young teachers that building rapport with students eliminates 90 to 95 percent of their classroom management issues.”

Listening has become a forgotten art, Miller said.

Another key element is having the capacity to reflect on what worked and didn’t in interactions with students, staff, faculty and parents, he said.

Miller said Jonart, superintendent since 2012, has been a mentor. He said he’s seen her persevere even as the demands of the job grew year-by-year.

"I’m in awe of how Judy has managed all these years,” he said. “Judy’s the smartest person I’ve ever met.”

Miller said Larry Driscoll, a former principal at East Middle School, was also a mentor.

A Butte boy

Keith Miller was born and raised in Butte. He grew up on Caledonia Street.

His father, Jim Miller, had taught school in Drummond before hiring on at Butte High School, where he taught history and government. He also bartended and then ran the Montana Bar on Park Street after the death of Jim’s brother, Percy.

Jim Miller died in 2019.

“My dad had a huge influence on me,” Keith Miller said. “Having six kids meant he worked all the time. He was a tough teacher and a good one at that. No one out-worked him. He was my best friend and taught me that being the nice guy isn’t a bad thing.”

Miller described his mother, Lillian, as the epitome of dedication. He said her wide range of occupations has included florist, seamstress, jeweler, horse whisperer and more.

“Whatever she did, she did it 110%,” he said.

Jim and Lillian Periman Miller divorced in 1987 when Keith Miller was 19.

Keith Miller’s career in education began in Cascade in 1993 after he received education degrees from the University of Montana Western and the University of Montana.

In Cascade, he taught special education and coached basketball and football.

His career with the Butte School District began in 1996 at East Middle School. In the years that followed, he taught social studies at Butte High School and then returned to East Middle School, working there as assistant principal and principal.

He has served as assistant superintendent for the district since 2025.

Working two jobs

Miller’s brother, Ken, died in 1998 by suicide, an event that led Miller to work a second job on the weekends at an AWARE group home in Butte. He said he took the weekend manager job “to try to wrap my head around the dynamics of mental health and suicide.”

For the next 20 years, as an employee of both the school district and AWARE, he worked seven days a week.

Asked how he managed to have a life given those responsibilities, Miller shrugged.

“Well, that’s a good question,” he replied.

Miller left the AWARE job after becoming principal at East Middle School in 2018.

He said Butte voters approved the bond issue paying for major renovations at East Middle.

“When I become the principal at East, the first thing, right out of the gate, was the renovation,” Miller said. “Talk about professional development right on the job. I mean, my family doesn’t even let me touch power tools.

“We now have what I believe is the best middle school facility in the state,” he said, a transformation he attributed to voters and the staff at East Middle School.

On May 5, voters in the Butte School District will consider two levies, with one being a technology levy for the high school and the other an elementary district general fund levy.

Jonart weighs in 

Meanwhile, Jonart shared some thoughts about her successor.

“Mr. Miller's work has always reflected a deep commitment to the whole child,” she said. “He understands that student success is built not only on strong academics, but also on relationships, support services and a school culture where every student feels valued and known.”

She said Miller is student‑centered in both philosophy and practice, and is passionate about developing programs that meet the individual needs of learners at every level.

“He also brings a deep understanding of our district through his extensive service on district committees, giving him valuable insight into our programs, operations and long‑term goals,” Jonart said. “His commitment extends beyond the school day through meaningful community volunteer work that reflects his belief in service and partnership.”

She added, “Education is not simply a profession for him — it is a calling. His passion for public education and his commitment to building meaningful relationships with students, staff, families and the community will serve this district well.”

Miller said he intends to continue the Butte School District’s student-centric emphasis.

“When you make decisions, you have to make them based on what’s best for kids,” he said. “I’ve always been impressed by how this district has done that. Hopefully, that shines through with me.”