A new charter school is mapping attendance boundaries ahead of its planned fall 2020 opening.

Hayden Canyon Charter’s transfer petition was approved by the Idaho Public Charter School Commission (PCSC) on Dec. 12, allowing the school to transfer its authorization from Lakeland School District to the PCSC.

“It affords us more neutral oversight,” Hayden Canyon Charter Administrator Cynthia Lamb said Monday. “We’re going to be overseen by the state, rather than another school district.”

The primary attendance zone will commence at the intersection of Boekel Road and Atlas Road, continuing south to the intersection of Atlas Road and Honeysuckle Avenue and following the shoreline of Hayden Lake to a point south of the intersection of East English Point Road and North Meadowwood Lane. From there, the attendance zone continues north to a point at the center of East Dodd Road, then east along the center of Boekel Road to the point of origin.

“We’re going to be serving students from different areas,” Lamb said.

The transfer gives Hayden Canyon Charter access to state support that is unique to charter schools, Lamb said, such as training and workshops for staff.

Originally scheduled to open in 2018, Hayden Canyon Charter’s opening date was pushed back to 2019, then pushed back again.

This time, however, Lamb said she’s confident that Hayden Canyon Charter will open next fall, though some of the site specifications are not yet finalized.

The school recently received pre-approval for a permanent building, Lamb said, and there are plans to break ground in early February.

“We should be able to open our new building by the first day of school,” Lamb said.

In the event that construction won’t be complete in time, however, portables will be available, she said.

A permanent building will allow Hayden Canyon Charter to accommodate 388 students in its first year. Only 275 students can be accommodated in portables.

“We’ll have the sewer and water hooked up regardless of whether we have portables or a permanent building,” Lamb said. “There won’t be any delays there.”

She added that the school should know whether students will use portables or a permanent building by the end of January.

Hayden Canyon Charter is accepting student applications until Feb. 14. In accordance with Idaho state law, when receiving more applications than spaces available, enrollment will be based on an annual priority lottery.

Info: www.haydencanyoncharter.org