Educational campus plans revealed

Plans for a professional/technical and vocational school campus to be built on Rathdrum Prairie were outlined during a recent ceremony hosted by the Kootenai County Professional/Technical Campus Committee, a coalition of local business, industry and educational leaders.

That’s great news for local residents, according to Mary Ann Ranells, superintendent of Lakeland School District. “The vision of this association is amazing. The project is right where it needs to be in terms of providing assistance to students and young adults.”

The group invited civic leaders and educators to the ceremony during which a Memorandum of Understanding was signed for the acquisition of 100 acres on the Rathdrum Prairie for the future home of an educational campus that will include a new high school for the Lakeland School District, a vocational campus focusing on trade and industrial programs, and a professional/technical school.

The document outlines the basic strategy for making the new educational facility a reality, and summarizes the financial responsibilities of each partner, including the Lakeland, Coeur d’Alene and Post Falls School Districts.

“The vision for this piece of bare ground is to create a world-class campus where students from all three school districts will have access to professional/technical training in one location – one that is also close to North Idaho College facilities, which allows us to share resources, and increase our efficiency as we expand professional/technical education programming in the region,” said committee chairman Paul Anderson.

“Partnership is the key word,” according to Anderson. “The signing of this MOU today demonstrates the commitment our coalition of business and educational leaders has to this project as well as our shared vision to build the most progressive professional/technical education system in the nation right here in Kootenai County.”

According to information released by the committee, now that the MOU has been signed, the public entities involved will begin exploring financing options for the various parcels of land that make up the 100-acre site at the corner of Lancaster and Meyer Roads just south of Rathdrum. The land is currently farmland owned by the Meyer family.

The Meyers, brothers Wayne, Walt, Wally and Doug, have a lot do to with the success of this project according to Ranells. “None of this could have happened without them. This is the biggest step, and they deserve all the recognition for getting this first phase under way.”

One parcel, a 40-acre site, will be purchased by Lakeland School District at a cost of $1.1 million. The district has plans to build a new high school on the site at a future date. A second 40-acre parcel, also at a cost of $1.1 million, will be purchased by North Idaho College for use as a vocational campus for trade and industrial programs.

A professional/technical academy for area public school students will be built on the third parcel, a 20-acre piece. The Meyers will donate 10 of the 20 acres needed for the campus, and the North Idaho Manufacturers Consortium will coordinate an effort to buy the second 10 acres for $275,000.

Once purchased, the professional/technical academy will be owned and operated collaboratively by the Lakeland, Coeur d’Alene and Post Falls School Districts.

The plan also calls for the city of Rathdrum to seek grant funding to help pay for a new lift station and to work to complete the necessary annexation, site plan approval, utility hookups and permits.

Both Ranells and Anderson said there is a great need for this type of secondary education. According to Ranells, “Projected figures from the U.S. Department of Labor indicate that 80 percent of the jobs created in the next decade will require education beyond high school, while only 20 percent will require a four-year degree.” Anderson believes the need for more one-and two-year programs is also apparent when one considers that only 15 percent of Idaho students obtain a four-year degree.

“Improving and expanding career and professional technical programs for all students in Kootenai County and significantly increasing enrollment in and completion of these programs are our primary goals,” said Anderson.

The programs being considered include: agriculture, business, family and consumer sciences, health occupations, marketing, technology, and trade and industry.

Later this week, 30 members of the committee will travel to Boise to tour nearby professional/technical and vocational facilities and to meet with Gov. Butch Otter, Superintendent of Education Tom Luna, Department of Labor Director Roger and Madsen, and other officials. “We are going to take a look at how to get this project accomplished,” said Anderson.

Kootenai County Professional/Technical Campus Committee is a volunteer group made up of representatives from the North Idaho Manufacturer’s Consortium, Coeur d’Alene, Post Falls and Lakeland School Districts, North Idaho College, the City of Rathdrum and interested community members.