Thursday, March 28, 2024
39.0°F

Triple success

by MAUREEN DOLAN
Staff Writer | August 25, 2010 9:00 PM

COEUR d'ALENE - KTEC is a go, despite the financial crisis.

Voters in the Coeur d'Alene, Post Falls and Lakeland school districts approved levies Tuesday that will finance the construction of a $9.5 million professional-technical high school building on the Rathdrum Prairie.

"I'm just thrilled, especially in this economic climate," said Coeur d'Alene Superintendent Hazel Bauman.

Successful passage required 55 percent voter approval in each district.

Coeur d'Alene's $2,683,846 two-year levy received 3,288 "yes" votes, representing 65 percent of the vote. There were 5,046 ballots cast.

In Post Falls, that district's $1,125,254 two-year levy was approved by 1,066 voters representing 66 percent of the 1,605 ballots.

The Lakeland District's $940,900 two-year levy received 1,007 "yes" votes, representing 55.27 percent of the 1,822 votes cast.

"I couldn't be more excited. What an excellent project, what an excellent process," said Post Falls Superintendent Jerry Keane.

With successful passage of all three levies, the 50,000-square-foot school is expected to open in 2013 and will offer classes in skilled trades - health occupations, welding, construction and automotive trades - to junior and senior high school students from the three districts.

"We'll meet with our colleagues soon to start moving ahead," Keane said.

Planning for KTEC began several years ago, before the economy fell flat. Despite the recession, a committee of area business leaders, working with the school districts and North Idaho College, were able to secure a 20-acre site for the high school using no taxpayer dollars. The family of the late Rathdrum Prairie farmer and former legislator Wayne Meyer donated 10 of those acres, and the balance was paid for by private donations, mainly from KTEC committee members or their businesses.

Ron Nilson, founding member of the KTEC Committee and owner of Ground Force Manufacturing in Post Falls said, after the results were in, that he had just received a call from Karleen Meyer, Wayne Meyer's widow.

"She said, 'Wayne says congratulations,'" Nilson said, with a tear in his eye.

Meyer set the wheels in motion for his family's land donation before passing away in early 2009.

Jobs Plus director Steve Griffitts was all smiles as the final results were tallied.

"It amazes and gratifies me to see that in difficult financial times, every school district would support such a wonderful endeavor," Griffitts said. "I am honored to be among such a wonderful group of people."

"What an awesome experience this has been, to see a community come together like this for the kids," Nilson added.

Successful passage means the owner of a $200,000 home in the Coeur d'Alene School District will see a property tax bill increase of about $35 a year for two years. That same home in the Post Falls district will not see an increase because an existing levy is expiring. In the Lakeland School District, passage of the measure will mean an increase in that homeowner's property tax bill of roughly $50 for each of the next two years.