BONNERS FERRY — Progress is being made on the new Valley View Elementary, Boundary County School District Superintendent Jan Bayer told board members in August.

Walls should begin going by mid-September with the building expected to be fully enclosed by Nov. 1, Bayer said. Sewer connections are expected soon and cement was poured by mid-August.

"It's impressive," Bayer told the board. "Go walk over and see it. It's super exciting."

The progress over the summer follows the April groundbreaking with the district aiming to complete the new elementary school by the start of the 2027-'28 school year.

Construction hit a slight snag Aug. 28 when a gas pipe was inadvertently hit during the project.

"Fortunately, there were no injuries," BCSD officials said on the district website. "Thank you to all emergency and construction personnel for their quick response. Construction continues!"

The new school is being built next to the current Valley View site, which will be turned into a parking area once construction of the new school is completed.    

The state of Idaho awarded the district $13.2 million on Aug. 5, 2025, to build a new facility with funding coming from House Bill 338, which allocated $50 million for rural school facility upgrades statewide.  

More than 25% of the total amount went to Valley View, which had issues such as the school gymnasium collapsing in 1996. A 2023 inspection found that the building was close to condemnation. 

Construction of a new Valley View Elementary follows three failed bond attempts to raise funds to build a new school. In 2023, an inspection found the elementary school was just one disaster away from condemnation. 

In other news, Bayer told board members the past three years of hard work are paying off with projects completed, assessments in place and professional development allowing teachers and staff to focus on student achievement.

"Our data is showing that we're doing it," Bayer told the board.

BCSD staff are still finalizing goals but Bayer told the board the district planned on two math-focused family engagement nights at the county's schools. Math observations will continue by district administrators in order to offer helpful advice and strategies.

District officials are also targeting an attendance goal of 95%, up from 92%, Bayer said.

"We are always like right there, and then we have a big December, January and February so we will keep trying to close that gap," the superintendent added.

Despite a tough fiscal conversation, Bayer said the district continues to hit its financial goals.