A new middle school is out of the picture — for now — in proposed facility plans for Kalispell Public Schools.

That news comes after the Somers-Lakeside School District board of trustees voted against sending its sixth-, seventh- and eighth-graders to Kalispell if a new middle school were to be built.

Unlike the Kalispell elementary schools currently facing overcrowding and continued enrollment growth, Kalispell Middle School isn’t projected to face capacity concerns until around 2028.

The initial reason for considering a new middle school was that a Kalispell Public Schools facility planning committee had been focused on plans that would get the district out to 2030 before once again facing enrollment challenges. The concern was the operating costs of a new school in the first year and the addition of Somers Middle School students would have helped offset those costs by generating about $1 million in state funding while preparing for potential enrollment growth.

Without Somers students and additional state funding, the district would have a tough sell in justifying a new middle school to taxpayers at this time, Kalispell Superintendent Mark Flatau said at an open house Wednesday.

“I’ll admit it was a little bit of pressure to support our partner district,” Flatau said.

The open house at Flathead High School outlined proposed plans for both the elementary and high school district following a year of work by the facility planning committee.

Pulling a new middle school out of the proposed elementary plan decreases cost estimates from $62 million to $45 million. Owners of a home with an assessed value of $200,000 could see annual property taxes increase by around $170 if a bond request is approved by the board of trustees and passed by voters in the fall.

The elementary proposal still includes building two elementary schools plus renovating the district’s five existing elementary schools.

“Based on enrollment projections, we’re already 225 kids over in the elementary schools,” Flatau said. This overflow of students would halfway fill a new school.

The new elementary schools would accommodate 450 students, which is a good size according to elementary administrators.

“We will be full in that new elementary by 2022,” Flatau said in explaining why a second new elementary is needed.

Edgerton Elementary, the largest in the district, bears the brunt of overcrowding with an enrollment of about 650 — about 100 more students than desirable, according to Flatau.

One of the proposed new schools would be located on district-owned property south of town on Airport Road. A second school would be located north of town, pending purchase of property. Currently the district is in discussions to acquire a 25-acre parcel west of Whitefish Stage Road in the vicinity of Easthaven Baptist Church. The $45 million cost estimate does not include purchasing property.

The scope of the elementary and high school proposals was on display during Wednesday’s meeting at Flathead High School.

The proposed plans would touch every school building in regard to deferred maintenance, while several would receive some sort of addition.

High school facilities that would receive significant remodeling and additions include Flathead High School, Linderman Education Center and the H.E. Robinson Vocational Agricultural Education Center. Only deferred maintenance would be covered at Glacier High School.

The high school district proposed plan is projected to cost $25.8 million. This would cost owners of a $200,000 home an extra $51 a year in property taxes.

Facility proposal recommendations will go before the school board at 6 p.m. June 14 at Kalispell Middle School.

Hilary Matheson is a reporter for The Daily Inter Lake. She may be reached at 758-4431 or hmatheson@dailyinterlake.com.