The growing Post Falls School District is staging a $10,875,000 bond election Tuesday that combines good stewardship and transparent need.

Faced with continuing growth that’s averaged 3 percent for the past 15 years, the district is asking voters to fund four important projects: construction of a 500-student elementary school, addition of eight classrooms to the high school, a remodel of the transportation facility, and the purchase of property as a site for a future school.

Not only are district officials striving to relieve pressure at crowded elementaries and anticipating growth problems at the high school, but they have an eye to the future, realizing that the need for a second high school isn’t far off. They can’t eliminate growth. But they can offer the bond levy at a reduced facility tax rate because they saved $703,000 by refinancing the high school bonds and will get almost $400,000 from the state to defer interest costs for the new bond levy.

School patrons should reward this good stewardship with their vote on Tuesday.

Everyone in North Idaho knows the region is growing at a rapid rate. In Post Falls that growth has meant that both Prairie View and Seltice elementaries are exceeding capacity, despite the use of portable buildings to help handle the overflow. Post Falls High School, which was built for 1,500 students, is expected to begin the 2008 school year with an enrollment of 1,600 students. The Class of 2009 grew by 40 students from the spring of its eighth-grade year to last fall.

The Post Falls School District has to stay on top of the growth because it is expected to double in size in the next 20 years.

A two-thirds vote is required for a successful bond election. Absentee voting is now under way through Monday. On Tuesday, voters can cast ballots at the following sites: Frederick Post Education Center, Seltice Way Elementary, Post Falls Middle School, Prairie View Elementary and Ponderosa Elementary.