Lake Pend Oreille trustees unanimously approved relocating the district’s alternative school Tuesday, pushing ahead despite a packed meeting, repeated shouts from the crowd and a formal grievance.
“You don’t get it,” one patron shouted at trustees after the vote, as Board Chair Lonnie Williams banged his gavel to restore order to the meeting.
The trustees said the decision was a compromise that provided additional electives for students at the alternative school while balancing budget concerns due to declining enrollment.
The vote follows months of controversy over the planned relocation, including a formal grievance filed with state and federal officials by a coalition of former educators and patrons who criticized parts of the process to relocate the school.
Superintendent Becky Meyer has argued for months that declining enrollment at Lake Pend Oreille Alternative High School justifies relocating it to portables and a former driver’s education building behind Sandpoint Middle School.
The move would reduce costs and transportation time by relocating students from the school’s more than 100-year-old building to Sandpoint High School, where a new career technical education building is set to open this fall.
“Every decision that we’re making is really based on what we believe is best for students,” Meyer said at Tuesday’s meeting. “I know not everyone agrees and not everybody’s perspective is exactly the same, but our job is to really recommend based on what’s best for students in the Lake Pend Oreille School District.”
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Meyer defends the process
Meyer acknowledged Tuesday she could have done a better job presenting proposed changes to the public.
“I know I’m not perfect. I’m not saying I’ve done everything right,” Meyer said. “I know several people don’t agree with my recommendation, but that is my job to recommend to the board what I believe is best for students. I had no idea this was going to be such a hot-button topic.”
She outlined other options for the alternative school’s students, like remaining in the current building and taking electives online or through independent study or closing the school altogether and shifting students online or to the traditional high school program.
Meyer said she does not support either option.
She also defended the district against the coalition’s grievance, which was led by former West Bonner Superintendent Jackie Branum.
“It just makes me very sad … we had a lot of trust built up in the district,” Meyer said. “We’re doing a lot of great things in the district and because people don’t like the recommendation, they just made a lot of false accusations.”
During public comment, Branum called Tuesday’s meeting “an important first step,” while reiterating what she sees as an effort to obscure board action through overuse of consent agendas, which bundle routine items into a single vote.
“Tonight’s motion is a late attempt to patch a severe procedural defect,” she said.
Branum also repeated a common argument among opponents of the move: that the change could lead to the school’s closure.
“Forcing four remaining teachers into trailers behind the middle school is not a routine relocation,” Branum said. “It is the final physical phase of a total school shutdown.”
Patron Terry Pardini argued that the program serves vulnerable students and that the district should absorb the increased costs to offer electives in the current location.
“Alternative education is not an extravagance,” Pardini said. “It’s a vital and separate life raft for students who, for a variety of reasons … do not thrive in the traditional high-stimulus mainstream high school environment.”
Two patrons spoke in support of the move. Heather Loman said she was initially concerned about the new campus and began attending board meetings and her questions were answered.
Loman called the decision-making process clear and transparent.
“I stand here to say that there is another contingent who quietly supports and appreciates all the work you’ve put into this, all the time you’ve put into this decision, and your handling of this important and sensitive issue,” she said.
Trustee: The move is ‘a compromise’
Board member Scott Wood said it doesn’t make fiscal sense to keep the school open in its current location.
“I feel like we’re losing money every year by keeping it open,” Wood said. “I do feel that it is a compromise to move them just to save the district money.”
Wood said closing the school is not an option.
Trustee David DeMers, who taught in the district for years and still coaches track, said alternative school students often stay in Sandpoint after graduation and are essential to the community.
Those students want additional opportunities that the new career technical education building will provide, he argued. He also raised concerns about the district’s financial future, with newcomers to the area opposing new taxes on the ballot.
“The bottom line is we’re not going to agree on everything, but I don’t see the status quo being the best for everyone,” DeMers said.
Chair Williams expressed frustration with the grievance complaint.
“It’s full of false information,” Williams said, reiterating the board’s desire to keep the alternative school open.
“Nobody wants to get rid of this program,” he said.
After an outburst from the crowd, trustee Mahle Williams spoke up.
“I just wanted to say I hope that what you’re hearing is that we support this program,” she said. “We support the kids. The community supports the kids.”
All trustees supported the move in a roll-call vote.
Some patrons yelled as they left the meeting.
“You don’t get it,” one woman said. “You will, and you need to.”
