Inside our schools: Post Falls schools’ enrollment up
Post Falls’ growth spurt is reflected again this fall in the district’s student enrollment figures.
Superintendent Jerry Keane reported 65 new pupils in grades K-12 this year, totaling 5,350 students.
To help offset education costs this school year, Post Falls’ school board late last week unanimously passed an emergency, one-time levy of $295,000. That breaks down to a total per person tax allocation of $2.08 this year, lower than last year’s $2.23, thanks to the influx of additional residents, Keane said.
National Merit semifinalists
Two Post Falls High School seniors are among the nation’s academic elite. Joseph Tamasonis and Shanna Hardy are among 16,000 National Merit Semifinalists, based on their PSAT exam scores. That places them in the top 99.99 percentile of the nation.
Approximately 1.4 million U.S. college-bound seniors took the exam.
When ranked by state, Tamasonis is sixth and Hardy is 56th among 5,220 of Idaho’s college-bound seniors, who took the exam last fall. Tamasonis has a 3.75 cumulative grade-point average; Hardy’s is 4.14. Both take honors and Advanced Placement-level classes.
Nutrition director receives state award
She’s the epitome of the school cook. Annie Mader oversees nutrition programs for all Post Falls’ public schools, which she’s done for 20 years. She was recognized by her peers in June when she won the Mt. Borah Award. It’s bestowed by Idaho State Department of Education Child Nutrition Program.
Mader is only the second individual to win the award. Criteria include intelligence, teamwork, leadership, character and professionalism.
She said more than 500,000 school lunches are consumed by students during the school year. Mader also supervises the summer free-lunch program, which feeds about 1,000 kids a day.
Meet new or reassigned teachers and staff
Students will see some new faces and some reassigned teachers’ and support staff in Post Falls this year.
New assignments, by school, are:
Mullan Trail Elementary: Allison Still, first-grade teacher; Michelle Faucher-Sharples, second-grade teacher.Prairie View Elementary: Patricia Bedalov, speech language pathologist.
Ponderosa Elementary: Marcy Hoggett and Courtney Brooksby, fifth-grade teachers.
Seltice Elementary: Tia Banderob and Carlie Gotfredson, first-grade teachers; Tawnya Gilbert, second-grade teacher.
Post Falls Middle School: Nicole Symons, sixth-grade teacher; Dustin Frank, eighth-grade math teacher; Emily Rees, English teacher; Mike McLean, physical education and health instructor.
River City Middle School: Ayra Ellis, sixth-grade teacher; Corey Still, seventh-grade teacher; Joyce Arpke, music teacher.
Post Falls High School: John Eagle, social studies; Jill Foss, art; Lyndsay Farwell, math; Julie Giguere, resource; Steve Hansen-Barber, math; Trina Tinder, special education; Kara Twinings, counselor; Misti Young, lifeskills.
New Vision High School: Steve Hansen-Barber and Angela Lynn, math instructors.
District-wide; Heather Overoye, occupational therapist.
Schools to hold open houses, orientation
You can demonstrate your interest in your child’s education by checking out their schools. Upcoming open houses and kindergarten orientation will be as follows:
“Today from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Tour Prairie View Elementary’s second through fifth-grade classrooms; at 6 p.m. New Vision High School opens for tours.
“Monday from 7 to 8:30 p.m., Visit Post Falls High School.
“Sept. 20 at 6:30 p.m., kindergarten orientation.
New addition at Post Falls High
Post Falls High School has added eight rooms in a new wing completed just in time for the start of the academic year.
The two-story expansion includes six classrooms, a wet science laboratory and a computer lab.
School officials said the project aims to bolster students’ science technology skills and ease overcrowding.