Post Falls School Change Upsets Parents Proposal Would Switch Middle School To Elementary When High School Built
In a complex game of musical chairs designed to ease crowding in Post Falls schools, the district is redrawing some of its elementary school boundaries.
But the move, which means about 350 elementary students will be transferred to the current middle school, has some parents upset.
“It’s like moving to a whole new city for them,” said Amy Verhaegh, one of just three parents who spoke at a public hearing Monday. “They’re leaving their friends, their family, everything they know.”
The switch is prompted by the construction of the city’s new high school, scheduled to open in fall 2000. That frees up the old high school to house middle school students and will open the middle school to elementary schoolers.
With that move, administrators say, crowding will be relieved at Seltice, Prairie View and Ponderosa elementary schools.
“By opening the high school, we’re creating 1,500 new spaces in the Post Falls School District,” Superintendent Dick Harris said. “We have to change boundaries in order to create a new elementary school.”
The new boundary, likely to be voted on by the school board in July, would affect an L-shaped swath in the northwestern corner of the district.
Students would go to the “new” elementary school if they live between Idaho and Spokane streets to the east and west, and Hayden Avenue and I-90 on the north and south. Students living east of Chase Road and north of Poleline Road would also be affected, as would about 50 students living on East Riverview Drive.
The boundaries were drawn by a committee of about 25 parents, teachers, school officials and community members.
“You don’t do this lightly, because you’re affecting people’s lives,” Assistant Superintendent Jerry Keane said.
Nearly all students who would be transferred and currently ride the bus would still receive district transportation, Keane said.
Parents at the public hearing asked whether their children could be exempt from the transfer. School officials said they would consider the requests, but would not be able to grant many of them.
“I’d be very cautious of going to grandfathering,” Harris said. “We can’t lose track of why we’re going through this in the first place.”
Beth Schmidt worries about her twins, who’ll be entering fifth grade in 2000. Her kids would leave their current school and go to the new one for just one year before heading to junior high.
“Is that fair to the kids?” Schmidt asked.
This sidebar appeared with the story: WHAT’S NEXT The public can comment again on the proposed boundary at the school board’s regular meeting at 7 p.m. June 14 in Post Falls City Hall.