Out with the old to make way for the new, as demolition has started at the site that will become home to the North Idaho Classical Academy. It is the first step toward the academy opening its doors for students in August 2026. 

An old building on a former mill next to the county fairgrounds will be destroyed and construction will take place starting in November. By the upcoming 2026-27 school year, a 40,000-square-foot building will be built on the 5-acre site and classes will begin.  

NICA founding principal Jacob Francom said 570 students have expressed interest in enrolling. While open enrollment will start on Nov. 1 and close March 1, 2026, the hiring of teachers has not started.  

“We’re not doing any formal hiring until after we close on the property and construction starts,” Francom said. 

According to Francom, NICA will soon be selecting a general contractor whose job will be to get the school up and running by August. While the deadline is less than a year away, NICA officials said they are confident the project will be completed on time. 

The school will start with kindergarten through seventh grade classes, before adding one grade every year until grade 12. With the school potentially having empty classrooms at the start, Francom has an idea to fill them. 

“I would like to work with a local preschool or/and a local daycare,” Francom said. “I’ve already been in communication with a few people that have shown some interest.” 

The building has been vacant for the last 23 years, despite being next to downtown Bonners Ferry. 

While NICA has received some state grants, much of the money to build the school will come from a mortgage and will be paid back through student attendance. The site was previously owned by the Idaho Forest Group. 

Francom says they intend to work with Boundary County School District and they do not seek to be a competitor. Instead, it will be an alternative to public schools in the district. 

For the demolition, a local company is tearing the old building down for free, saving NICA around $200,000.