PRIEST RIVER — As of July 31, West Bonner County School District has raised $40,148 to help cover educational costs in the upcoming school years. 

Kristina Kenny, the district’s director of special services, provided an update on the fundraising endeavor at a meeting of the board of trustees last week. 

“We are deeply grateful for the incredible community members who are stepping up and finding creative ways to raise money for our district,” said Kenny. “It's commendable that all the fundraising efforts being paid are being paid for out of people’s personal pockets at no cost to the district.”

The fundraising project kicked off with a $10,000 initial donation from the Hagman family of Priest Lake. The package was put into an endowment fund and invested, and will be available to the district in a year’s time. 

Twenty-five other community donors have contributed an additional $13,945 to the district. 

Local events have also played a key role in the fundraising project. The Dunn family hosted a gathering on Independence Day weekend that brought in $5,100, and a booth at Priest River’s Timber Days generated $11,103 through donations from passersby and local businesses. 

The booth was planned and hosted by district trustee Ann Yount and her family, who passed out balloon animals, water bottles, books, and temporary tattoos at the festival. 

Kenny thanked Yount for her effort. “We wouldn't have been able to pull this event off without you guys,” she added. 

The district ultimately aims to raise $1.07 million to support facility maintenance, transportation costs, and salaries for new faculty. 

During the July 31 meeting, the trustees voted unanimously to approve a contract with the city of Priest River to supply a school resource officer for the district. The contract was approved and authorized by the Priest River City Council on Aug. 5. 

The contract includes $70,000 provided by the district for the salary of the officer and $5,800 for equipment, vehicle maintenance, fuel, overtime, and training. 

To cover the costs, WBCSD will draw $72,634 from its Safe and Drug Free Schools fund and $3,300 from its general fund. 

According to Dean Davis, the district’s finance director, WBCSD is pursuing a grant from the state to finance the SRO position. If the grant is secured, the Safe and Drug Free Schools fund will be replenished to its original amount. 

“We're hard at work on that,” Davis said regarding the grant application. 

The trustees will meet next Monday, Aug. 12, to host a public hearing and receive community feedback concerning sporting event fee increases. 

The meeting will be held at 5:30 p.m. in the Priest River Lamanna High School cafeteria, 596 Highway 57, and livestreamed on the district’s Facebook page.