Education, business leaders excited about K-TEC project

KOOTENAI COUNTY — Ask about the Kootenai Technical Education Campus planned on Rathdrum Prairie and some people will talk about how good it will be for kids, some will tell you it'll be great for businesses, and most everyone says its a win all around.

It will provide training for youth who may "fall through the gaps" now, said Walt Meyer, who, with brothers Wallace and Wayne (who recently passed away), agreed to donate 10 acres and sell more acreage for what will become a technical education center.

"I think it's something that's going to have a very positive impact in our area for a long time," he said.

It will give students basic skills they can build on with additional training or use to go into the work force, said Coeur d'Alene Chamber of Commerce President Jonathan Coe.

"Many of us are aware that many of the important jobs in our society don't require a college education but do require good professional and technical training," he said.

Bay Shore Systems general manger Jim Tippett said his No. 1 goal is to make young people a productive and valuable part of society. If Bay Shore Systems, a Rathdrum manufacturer of foundation drilling equipment, gets good quality workers, "that's a win for everybody," he said.

North Idaho College intends to purchase 40 acres of the Meyer land at $1.1 million for a professional-technical campus. The Lakeland School District plans to buy another 40 acres at $1.1 million for a new high school. The North Idaho Manufacturers Consortium plans to buy another 10 acres for $275,000 with money the organization plans to raise from the business community. That acreage will be added to the land donated

by the Meyers for a professional-technical high school to be used by the Lakeland, Coeur d'Alene and Post Falls school districts.

Representatives from the educational entities, the city of Rathdrum, and the Meyers signed a memorandum of understanding on Oct. 31, 2008, signifying their commitment to the project.

The beauty of the KTEC campus is, students will be able to walk to the NIC campus to take some of their high school courses, and they'll be able to get college credits for them, said Paul Anderson, chairman of the Kootenai Technical Education Campus Committee.

Furthermore, manufacturers are expected to want to site close to the campus, giving young people the chance to get on-the-job training.

"It just makes so much sense," Anderson said.

John Martin, vice president for community relations and marketing at NIC called the agreement "one of those situations where the stars were aligned."

Certainly, it will benefit students, said Brad Murray, assistant superintendent for the Lakeland School District.

"All students need some sort of education or training beyond high school in order to be competitive in the work force," he said.

The school system is currently underserving a large population of students who may not complete a four-year college degree. Providing hands-on opportunities that one district could not offer alone gives students great opportunities, Murray said.

Rathdrum City Administrator Brett Boyer said the campus is a great way to create some jobs.

The city is excited to work with everyone to help make the campus a reality, he said. Rathdrum has agreed to reduce its fees and to seek funding for building a wastewater lift station needed in the area. The city is still figuring out the funding.

There's still a ways to go before the community dream is realized.

"We've got a lot of work to do, but we are working hard to make all this happen," Anderson said.

The first remaining step is getting the ground secured, he said. The business community has raised about half of the money needed to buy the 10-acre portion of the campus.

The committee is also figuring out what the Kootenai Technical Education high school will look like.

"In order to know what the high school should look like, you have to pretty well figure out what kind of classes should be offered there," he said.

Anderson guessed that among the offerings would be information technology, welding, machining and auto body classes, and perhaps some health courses to compliment NIC's programs.

Once the school is designed, the committee will look for creative ways to fund construction without hitting taxpayers too hard. The business community has said it will do as much as it can to fit the school with the equipment needed for different fields, he said.

Anderson said the committee is excited to have business, industry, the educational community, and people such as himself — Anderson is now retired — on board with the project.

"It's wonderful teamwork," he said.