Rathdrum mayor lauds progress

Leaders of the Rathdrum community agree: The city is on the right path. 

Mayor Vic Holmes has served for nearly two decades and been a resident for over three. Elected as a city councilman 18 years ago and as mayor 14 years ago, Holmes has had a dream to make Rathdrum a great place to “live, work, and play.” Now he sees that dream as a reality. 

“The city of Rathdrum, how would I describe it? Growing, prosperous, healthy, and safe,” he said during his Rathdrum Area Chamber of Commerce 2021 State of the Community Luncheon address Thursday afternoon. 

Still, what Rathdrum is not, Holmes said, is self-sufficient. Despite a few major stores like Bi-Mart, he noted that the city’s commercial opportunities pale to Coeur d’Alene's, Post Falls', and Spokane's. 

“It’s always been my desire to get us to the point that we are self-sufficient, where anything we need we can buy,” Holmes said. 

Having this dependability is also crucial, the mayor said, to serve the droves of people relocating to the greater Rathdrum area.

As a “hot spot” in the area, Holmes has seen housing prices explode to eight-time previous prices, and he’s heard citizens' concerns about what the future holds. In response, the city developed a video on Rathdrum’s plan for responsible growth — which is now available on the city of Rathdrum Government Facebook page. 

“As you can see, we plan and plan and plan for future utilities,” Holmes said. “I don’t think the staff could be doing a better job than what’s being done here … The city of Rathdrum does wisely plan for the future.”

Part of Rathdrum’s success as a community, the mayor said, is the work of organizations like the Lakeland Joint School District. 

Even after braving COVID-19 uncertainty, Becky Meyer, LJSD superintendent, had only positive words about the area’s education system and how it contributes to Rathdrum community pride. 

Responsible for cultivating the minds of over 4,400 students, LJSD boasts a 97.5% graduation rate — 15.4% over the state average. Reaching children from Athol to Bayview to Rathdrum, Meyer said the district’s goal every day is to be what is best for its students. 

“Everything we do is based on what is good for the kids,” Meyer said during the luncheon. “We want to make sure we have an academically rigorous program. We want to make sure that it’s a safe, supportive environment and that we’re fiscally conservative and responsible to the taxpayers.” 

Meyer said the district is achieving that goal by constantly striving to maximize students' growth academically, socially, and emotionally/behaviorally. During the 2020 COVID-19 shutdown, LJSD continued its work from a distance by offering grab-and-go meals to ensure families were fed and provided day care to first responders so they could go to work. 

“We lead the way. Our district is known for being an early adopter and being out in the front edge,” Meyer said. “Our board had the courage. We have been in school five days a week the entire school year. From the very first day, we have not taken a day off.”

Notable moments Meyer mentioned for LJSD in the past year include the Lakeland Online Academy launch and advancing the complete rollout of Chromebooks to students. None of it, she said, could be done without the staff, including Lakeland’s first-ever Idaho State Teacher of the Year, Stacy Walters of Timberlake High School. 

LJSD is also recognized for: 

• Having 85% of students participate in extracurricular activities
• Reporting the highest number of dual credit recipients in the area
• Installing the first armed guard School Resource Officer program for school safety
• Being one of the first districts in Idaho to have full-time mental health therapists available to families during school hours  

“We will always continue to have high expectations for every single one of our students, which is why I think we shine,” Meyer said. “Every student, every day is learning and growing academically, socially, emotionally/behaviorally in all environments every single day. I guarantee you that.” 

Presentations by the Idaho Transportation Department District 1 engineering manager and Idaho Department of Labor northern regional economist Sam Wolkenhauer also affirmed that the Kootenai County area was on track for success. Though COVID-19 may have thrown a wrench in the growth that North Idaho had been experiencing before the pandemic, Wolkenhauer said the state is coming back strong. 

“On a state and local level, this recovery has exceeded all expectations,” Wolkenhauer said. “Idaho is a very well steered boat on a choppy sea.”