UPDATE: January 13, 2026 2:38 p.m.
The “possible propane leak” reported by the West Bonner School District turned out just to be a suspicious odor, according to Kim Spacek, the superintendent with the district.
Spacek said students and staff smelled the odor in an old part of the school around 9:30 a.m. and reported it. The school was evacuated “out of an abundance of caution,” the district said in a Facebook post around 2 p.m.
The fire department was contacted to investigate the smell. Once the smell was confirmed not to be propane, the fire department determined the building was safe.
“School is in session tomorrow, January 14th,” the district said in its post.
PRIEST RIVER, Idaho – Priest River Elementary School evacuated on Tuesday morning due to a possible propane leak.
West Bonner School District 83 posted about the evacuation at 10:17 a.m. on Tuesday, citing a “possible propane leak.”
In the post, the district asked parents and guardians to pick their students up at the old Priest River Junior High gym.
Article originally published January 13, 2026 11:21 a.m.
