Former Borah School faces the future

COEUR d'ALENE — The former Borah Elementary School isn't sitting vacant following its spring closure.

About half the building is being used for the Coeur d'Alene School District's Early Learning Center and Secondary Transition Education Program. The center section, including the gym, the former library, the art room and a few other spaces, have been repurposed for meeting space.

District leaders and members of the district's long-range planning committee are considering options for short- and long-term use of the building, which has several available classrooms.

"A key priority is to keep the building in good working condition so that it remains a viable asset for the district to use in whatever capacity is deemed most beneficial going forward," Jason Hover, committee chair, said Wednesday in an email to The Press.

He said it's important to not let Borah fall into a state of disrepair following its closure. He said since Borah was closed due to a financial shortfall, one of the guiding principles for its future use is likely to be around financial benefit to the school district.

During the planning committee's Monday meeting, members brainstormed options about how best to use the building, but no definitive decisions were made.

"One interesting thing we heard is that using the building as a school to serve a population who might not otherwise attend the district, and thereby increasing enrollment, would be a significantly bigger financial boost to the district than renting it out," Vice Chair John Beacham said. "A variety of ideas were shared, which was really the goal."

He said there was a lot of agreement around the idea that putting the building to use in the short-term for either saving money, like using it for the Early Learning Center, or rental is beneficial both financially and because it helps to keep the building used and in good condition. This allows time to work out a more comprehensive long-term plan.

"We also learned that the vast majority of the Early Learning Center services are required to be provided by the district," Beacham said. "So, having an owned facility which can provide them and is in good condition is a financial benefit."

The Early Learning Center was previously housed at a local church.

Deputy Superintendent of Operations Seth Deniston recently had meetings to explore short-term usage of Borah space. One potential occupant is a downtown Coeur d'Alene daycare that will lose its lease at the end of October and needs adequate space through the end of the year. He said he has spoken with a church that would like to use the space on the weekends.

“I’m exploring all options to use that space short-term," he said. “Long-term, we plan to come back around the December timeframe to talk about our own usage of that building for a potential day care and preschool.”