PRIEST RIVER, Idaho – The near future of Priest River Junior High School, the only public school for seventh- and eighth-graders in the West Bonner County School District, remains uncertain. As recently as Monday, new and controversial Superintendent Branden Durst had discussed the possibility of leasing the aging building, constructed as a high school and bomb shelter in 1940.
Monday’s meeting lasted about three hours, and resulted in the board deciding to hear more from concerned parents at Wednesday night’s special school board meeting. The board handed out pink slips to those in the audience before Wednesday’s meeting, asking them to share their thoughts on the building.
“We understand that kicking the can down the road is not going to work,” Durst said. “We need to make a plan. Whether it’s in the next three-to-four, maybe up to six, weeks, we have to make a plan.”
Time is of the essence, as September 5, the first day for students, quickly approaches. If the district’s board determines the building shouldn’t host Priest River Junior High, the students will quickly have to be moved to the high school, something parents raised concerns about.
“If you haven’t been the parent of a 12-year-old girl, you can’t understand that,” said one parent during Wednesday’s public comment.
Additionally, time may also be a factor for Board Chair Keith Rutledge and Vice-Chair Susan Brown, who are both facing a difficult recall challenge on August 29, with several businesses across Priest River openly supporting the effort. The final regular meeting before the recall vote takes place next week on August 16.
