10 years later

COEUR d’ALENE — Melodious marimba music floats through the hallways.

Helmets hang in the gym, lovingly secured by unicyclists who have finished their lessons for the day.

Colorful paintings and drawings decorate the walls. Students proudly wear their Sorensen Magnet School of the Arts and Humanities shirts like badges of honor.

This is Sorensen now, but it is a Sorensen that almost wasn’t.

“Even outside of the community, there were people who were talking about the buzz of Sorensen as to whether we were going to stay open or going to shut our doors," said Principal Brett DePew. "The idea about reviving it and turning it into a magnet school for the arts and humanities in northern Idaho was exciting. The community and the school district took a big chance."

Ten years ago, the small neighborhood school was slowly spiraling toward what seemed to be an inevitable closure. Enrollment was dwindling, the building was suffering and school pride was drying up.

But then, passionate parents, concerned community members and dedicated staff united to save Sorensen's sinking ship. The "Save Sorensen!" battle-cry had been announced.

"A moment of optimism was the amount of parents who came together regularly to discuss strategies, values and tactics to save Sorensen. We met every single night," said Sorensen mom and Coeur d'Alene City Councilwoman Amy Evans. "There were give or take 20 of us, regularly, that would dive into the details of the school district’s budget and where Sorensen stood in that picture, what the forecast was for Sorensen, what our student count was. Seeing that group come together was great."

Signs were posted throughout town, T-shirts were made, local businesses and community leaders stepped up to keep the school alive.

Through that effort, a colorful magnet school was born. The community rallied to raise $100,000, recruit more students and meet all the requirements to breathe new life into Sorensen.

“At the time, and still currently, it made sense to transition to an arts and humanities school because Sorensen was so rich in the arts even before the transition to a magnet school. Coeur d’Alene was embracing arts as a priority of the community," Evans said. "The shoe fit. It was just where the heart of Sorensen was."

Sorensen's library manager, Lisa Rakes, went to Sorensen as a student and is now a Sorensen mom. She has fond memories of being a Sorensen kid.

"I really wanted the same for my kids, to just be in this neighborhood school where you could walk to school every day and it’s small and everybody along the way to school knows you and you’re picking flowers for your teachers out of someone’s yard," Rakes said. "There is just something magical that has always been here at this school, and there's something about this place that is just endearing."

She said since it's been a magnet school, kids love being there.

“I think with the creativity that the arts provide for our kids, they get to be kids longer and they get a real sweet education," she said. "They get to play more, they get to explore and do the things you want for your kids and not be under the restrictions of budgets. It’s been wonderful."

Sharalee Howard, who also advocated for the school during the "Save Sorensen" campaign, has four children who went through or are still enrolled in the school. The eldest, Mickey, was in kindergarten the year it was announced the school would close. Now, at 15, he has his own business as the Junk Drawer Troubador, performing at fairs and various events — talent and motivation that was cultivated at Sorensen.

"He really developed a sense of place at Sorensen," Howard said. "This is the perfect place for kids to develop and have a sense of self.

"My kids have a really great willingness to try new things and put themselves out there without fear of failure because they've had so much exposure to different things in a performance aspect."

Sorensen now boasts an enrollment of nearly 350 students with a strong staff and parents moving to the area to have their children attend the school. 

Sorensen parent and arts advocate Theresa Runge, who also helped spearhead the Sorensen movement, said part of the goal of the parents and community in keeping the school open was "to bring more families, more vibrancy downtown."

"And we've seen that happen, which is exciting," she said. “We’re thrilled that the school is open, that the community embraces the school.”

Sorensen Auction is April 29 at fairgrounds

The Sorensen Magnet Committee is responsible for raising the funds that support the school’s magnet activities.

These programs include a wide spectrum of the arts, from pottery and dancing to theater, technology and vocal music.

The 11th annual Sorensen Auction will be held at the Kootenai County Fairgrounds starting at 5:30 p.m. April 29. The theme is “A Night of Vintage USO Fun.” Guests can dress in 1940s garb, dress up for a night out or come in casual attire.

The event will include an auction, a silent auction, dancing, raffle items and more. Students’ handmade creations will be among the prized items for purchase.

Tickets are $65 per person and include fine dining by James Beard semi-finalist Adam Hegsted and live music by Foosball.

Tickets: www.smpto.org