West Bonner to close junior high

PRIEST RIVER — After a marathon, often emotional meeting, the West Bonner County School Board voted to keep its three elementary schools open but close its junior high school.

The high school will also remain open.

The plan will keep kindergarten through sixth grade students at Idaho Hill, Priest Lake and Priest River elementary schools. Seventh and eighth grade students would go to the high school, with the younger students separated from the high school students.

Matt George, PRLHS principal, said that, in essence, a "school within a school" would be created with younger students housed at the far end of the high school. While there would be some carryover with the ninth grade students, it would be minimal, with part of it created by the art room located at that end of the building. 

The budget would be balanced, making up for the $1.1 million shortfall. However, it would leave the district critically short on reserve funds, Dean Davis, director of finance, told the board.

"If we close one school, we would be able to run next year, but we'll be tight," Davis said.