SANDPOINT — The Lake Pend Oreille School Board met to review updated policies and receive updates on facilities before the new school year Tuesday.

The meeting opened with facilities director Matt Diel providing the board with news on facility upgrades, repairs and construction throughout the district. Most notably, Diel spoke about the Career Technical Education Center of North Idaho, a new art studio coming to Sandpoint High School and the remodel of Sandpoint Middle School. 

Construction of the CTE Center, which will provide space for high schoolers to develop trade skills, located on SHS’ campus has been progressing steadily. Diel said the center should be completed by June 2026, with concrete pouring beginning next month. 

Another addition coming to the grounds of SHS is the Romey and Stephen Visual Arts Studio. The $95,000 upgrade is fully funded by a $100,000 donation and students from Sandpoint and Lake Pend Oreille high schools will be able to use the newly expanded and updated room. 

Diel said that the old art room at SHS capacity was only 24 people and that many students who wanted to take art classes, couldn’t because of the limited classroom size. The new room was formerly a residential style cooking room, which was no longer in use for regular classes, and will allow more students to interact with various styles of art. 

“The donor felt like he really liked the idea of kids being able to stand and do art, so we have a canvas wall,” Diel said. “That’s real close to being done.” 

LPOSD Superintendent Dr. Becky Meyer said that the district has been working with the donor for two years on this plan and that the donor is also the funding source that will allow LPOHS students to use the studio. 

“There’s a separate period just for the LPOHS students to come over and take art [classes] that he’s funding as well, that’s really helpful,” Meyer said. “I just want to thank the donor profusely.” 

At Sandpoint Middle School, more preparations are being made for the incoming remodel. Diel said that the preliminary schedule expects construction is set to start in late May or June 2026 with the project being completed by August 2027. The school has already brought in portable classrooms, so that classes can continue through the construction. 

Following the updates being provided the board did a first reading of one new policy and several revised policies. The new policy revolved around dress and appearance for staff, which Meyer said was already in the staff handbook. 

“I was asked by a new principal, ‘What’s our board policy?’” Meyer said. “We decided that instead of it just being in the staff handbook, we would feel more comfortable if there was a policy.” 

The policy requires educators to dress in ways that promotes professionalism while allowing for comfort and mobility to fulfill job duties. All of the revisions made to policy were changes that needed to be made to meet updates passed by the Idaho Legislature at its latest session. 

A notable revision stated that phones owned by students’ use of their own phones should be “as limited as possible” during school hours. Changes were made to the due process, corrective actions and discipline code that requires administrators to hold an informal hearing before suspending a student. 

The board also discussed Idaho House Bill 93, which allots $50 million in tax credits to help families pay for private or home school tuition. The bill’s passing was controversial as programs in other states, like Arizona and Ohio, have ballooned and become a detriment to the state’s budget. 

Board chairman Lonnie Williams said that the board is aware of the changes and has heard the concern from the community. He said that the situation is very fluid at this time, but said there isn’t anything that the board can do at this point. 

"House Bill 93 goes through the state tax commission, this is not a board decision,” Meyer said. “It’s not going through the Idaho Department of Education, it’s not going through our funding mechanism.”  

The LPOSD Board of Trustees will meet again Sept. 9 at 5 p.m. at the district's main office’s board room.