School board wraps years with honors and project plans
NED NEWTON | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 1 year, 2 months AGO
(Courtesy photo)
At the final Boundary County School District meeting of the 2024-25 school year, board members recognized teachers and student scholarships, finalized summer maintenance plans and discussed a potential partnership with a new local non-profit aiming to open a community recreation center.
School Board Chairman Ron MacDonald announced the names of about 25 teachers achieved 70% proficiency in reading and math with their students.
"It is just humbling to see our school district performing so well, so massively well, with everything that's happened — facilities in desperate need of repair and lack of funding," said board member Mary Fioravanti. “For many of the upper school grades, having 30 percent growth from where they started to where they ended, that is huge; 30 percent growth is absolutely huge."
Superintendent Jan Bayer also thanked the community for the thousands of dollars in scholarships that were given out to students this year.
“Our students earn them from all over the state and different university scholarships, too,” Bayer said. “But our community is very generous. I cannot thank them enough.”
Because the maintenance and operations levy passed, the district will be able to move forward with various summer projects, including repaving the high school parking lot and paving sidewalks from the football bleachers to the concession stands.
Bonners Ferry High School alumni attended the board meeting to present a new local non-profit, Elevate Boundary County.
The non-profit's mission is to build a recreation center and community gathering place that will “enrich the lives of individuals and families in our small-town community by providing a welcoming space that fosters connection, education, wellness and opportunity.”
The school board discussed a partnership involving a land donation, potentially near Valley View Elementary, that would open new grant opportunities for both the school district and Elevate Boundary County.
Elevate Boundary County will have its first fundraiser event on Aug. 2 with the Swish 3v3 basketball tournament.
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