Post Falls District Plans Hearings On Overcrowding

The Post Falls school district will hold three public hearings this month to discuss how to deal with overcrowding.

The 7 p.m. hearings are scheduled for today at Ponderosa Elementary; Jan. 16 at Seltice Elementary, and Jan 23 at Prairie View Elementary.

The meetings will begin with about 20 minutes of background information, including the district’s three failed attempts to pass bond levies to build a new high school.

School board members then will listen to public comment about the options for housing more students.

“It’s very similar to what we were doing a year ago,” district superintendent Richard Harris said Tuesday.

“The possibility of additional portables (classrooms) is on the docket. We’re looking very strong at double-shifting in some part of the district. We’re very serious about at least getting started with year-round school. Or some combination of all of the above.”

People who don’t wish to speak at the hearings are welcome to put their comments in writing, Harris said.

On Jan. 27, school board members will meet at 7 p.m. at Post Falls High School to review what they’ve heard and discuss their options, Harris said.

However, no decisions will be made this month.

The school district has 4,112 students, which is 430 more than its buildings were designed to hold.

Enrollment is predicted to be 1,354 students above capacity by the year 2005.

, DataTimes