SOS, Big Investors: Save Our School

I've seen the signs around the community prior to school levies for the past several years: SOS.

The Supprt/Save Our Schools (SOS) organization has been pretty effective in getting voters to pass levies seeking more funds for construction, maintenance, equipment, etc.

A significant addition to Kootenai Elementary will open this fall. Eleven new classrooms, a computer lab, library, a new gym, kitchen and office are taking shape at the school, which turned 100 last year.

I've been told by my friend and the school principal Betsy Walker that the school will be beautiful. She's felt like a kid in a candy store throughout the construction process as each new aspect unfolds.

"Watching it reveal itself . . . every day there's something new. I love watching them pouring concrete; it's a fascinating process," Betsy told me a couple of weeks ago.

"The staff has been fantastic, knowing we had to be very flexible in the process," she continued. "The [Panco construction] crew has been lovely . . . they've done schools before, so they understand. It could have been a nightmare, working with them, but they're so open and accommodating to the staff."

Indeed, Kootenai Elementary will be a wonderful school when it's completed later this year. Ironically, its construction could mean the closing of another school in our district, thanks to the present economic climate. It's a "what-to-do" situation for the powers-that-be at Lake Pend Oreille School District.

I attended a meeting last night where the gym was packed with constituents, including parents, grads, just plain friends of Northside School. Closing Northside and moving the students and staff to the new classrooms at Kootenai is one of three options the district is considering if adequate funding does not come from the state this year.

That determination, according to school superintendent Dick Civitanich, is being worked out with the Idaho State Legislature. Until exact numbers come, district officials are looking for options on how to make everything work, should a significant shortfall result from this year's Legislative bean counting.

The other options include having a kindergarten center at Kootenai or redefining the school zones, opening the way for up to 150 students now attending Farmin/Stidwell Elementary to transfer to Kootenai. All options have their pros and cons as far as support. And, it appears that the district is playing the Legislative waiting game before making a final decision.

Since it was Gonzaga game night (and, yes, they played magnificently last night), I stayed for about an hour's worth of the meeting, which encouraged attendees to write their questions on 3 by 5 cards. The superintendent did his best to answer, admitting that sometimes he might sound like he was speaking out of both sides of his mouth because of the complexities of this issue.

I was impressed with Dr. Civitanich. He appeared forthright, empathetic and knowledgeable while tackling questions and addressing suggestions for other options. I was also impressed with how the meeting was conducted from the start.

Northside PTO president Christa Finney (a former student of mine) set the tone by noting that Northside students stand out when they move on to other schools. They stand out because of their manners and the respect they show to others. Christa asked for that same courtesy to be displayed in last night's meeting. The audience complied.

I don't know how the rest of the meeting played out, but I do know that I felt sad, thinking about why such possibilities exist. In this situation, the problem has nothing to do with the hard work of educators or the support shown for our schools by patrons or the decisions made by our local leaders.

To think that a much-revered culture of the country school and the sense of community it reflects could be threatened with extinction by a culture of greed far, far away sickens me. Who would have known that our economy would turn the way it did, the superintendent suggested in his opening words last night.

Well, it happened. And, it certainly wasn't the hard-working rural people who do their best, day in and day out, on what little money they can muster to support their families and their children's future.

Instead, we can thank those in far away places, working in big fancy offices who screwed with our financial entities so recklessly and so dishonestly that we all get to deal with the "trickle-down" effect of their greed and stupidity. If only THEY had to pay for their actions, we could simply note their examples and say, "Tough luck, you creeps, you deserved it."

But, sadly, that's not the case. Our kids get to sacrifice, probably a whole lot more than most of those folks, who, if they haven't gone to jail, have devised schemes to live out the rest of their lives in the style to which they're accustomed.

So far away this all happened, but such a residual impact on our little rural school. Doesn't seem fair that so many innocent people have to pay and pay and pay for the greed and corruption of others so far removed from their circumstances.

It may sound crazy, but I think it would be a good idea for our school district to go directly to the source of our problem instead of constantly seeking ways for the kids and their teachers to cut back.

Send a contingency of volunteers from this area to go plant hundreds of signs "SAVE OUR SCHOOL--Northside Elementary" around the big-city office buildings of all those directly responsible creating the present dilemma.

I wonder if any of them would have the decency to throw out a small chunk of their earnings to help save a whole school of innocent kids and dedicated staff in far-off North Idaho.

I'm sure the courteous, respectful students and staff at Northside would send them a "thank you" note.