School Vote May Signal Changes Winner Has Advocated Separate School District For Priest River

The choice of a new school trustee in Priest River may signal residents also support a plan to divide the Bonner County School District.

School board candidate Eric Eldenburg defeated Leonard Parenteau by a vote of 194 to 162.

Eldenburg, an engineer, pushed hard for a plan that would split the district into an east and west side.

If passed by residents, Priest River will become its own school district with its own school board and superintendent.

Residents in Priest River have long complained their needs come second to the larger schools in Sandpoint.

Parenteau, a retired administrator who has been in the district 37 years, questioned the division plan. He claims patrons and teachers are not getting enough information to vote on the proposal in December. He fears it will cost too much to form a separate district in Priest River.

If the division plan does pass, it’s likely Parenteau could be tapped for the new Priest River school board which would have to be formed from scratch.

Eldenburg replaces incumbent Teresa Asbill, who did not seek re-election.

In other school trustee races, it was mostly good news for incumbents. Kellogg residents put incumbent Mark Cowles back on the board. He defeated Karen Keller 70 to 41.

In St. Maries, challenger Sam Cummings edged out incumbent Charles Zook by 27 votes. The final tally was Cummings 77 and Zook 50.

In a small turnout in Wallace, incumbent Chuck Roberts beat Rona Liller 20 to 10. Liller was a write-in candidate.

Boundary County officials canceled an election because there were no candidates to oppose incumbents Jim Collyer and Barbara K. Gravelle.

Bonner County also had two unopposed races for school board.

Jim Cooper’s challenger dropped out before the election. He was declared the winner as was Patricia Gottschalk in Zone 3.

Gottschalk will replace Blaine Stevens, who resigned after serving as a trustee for 23 years.