CALDWELL, Idaho — Vallivue School District voters denied a bond measure on the March 8 ballot that asked permission to build two new elementary schools in an effort to catch up with rapid growth in the area.
The bond failed by roughly 2%, requiring a two-thirds supermajority -- 66.67% voting "yes" -- for the measure to pass.
“We were disheartened when we saw the results,” Vallivue's Director of State and Federal Programs, Joey Palmer, said. “I don’t think the patrons quite understood that if it doesn’t pass sooner rather than later, that its actually gonna cost taxpayer more, because the price for real estate only increases as time goes on.”
More than 13,000 new homes or apartment units are approved to be built within Vallivue School District boundaries, according to Palmer. Even before the bond measure failed, Palmer said Vallivue is struggling to keep up.
"City councils are continuing to approve more developments," Palmer said. "We need space and we do not have that space."
Four out of seven Vallivue elementary schools are operating over capacity, according to numbers from the Vallivue School District. Palmer said within the next year, six will be over capacity.
In the meantime, schools are accommodating for overcapacity with portable classrooms. Each portable united houses two classrooms and costs the district $250,000 - $300,000.
Between all elementary schools, Vallivue has 23 portable units -- equivalent to 46 classrooms and combining to equal one elementary school building -- according to the district.
"It makes recruiting extremely difficult to tell a teacher we'd love to hire you, but you'll be in a portable classroom that doesn't have a bathroom and it's a long walk to the school building to have lunch and use the restroom," Palmer said.
The Vallivue School District plans to put another bond up for vote, Palmer said. The May ballot is their earliest option to do so.
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