‘There will be opportunities for our students like never before.’ Blackfoot School District breaks ground for new projects.
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BLACKFOOT — High school students and teachers celebrated new construction and renovation projects during a groundbreaking ceremony that will change the district and provide more opportunities.
On Tuesday, Blackfoot School District #55 announced upcoming bond projects to high school students during an assembly. The projects include a new 450-student capacity elementary school, remodeling a previous elementary school into a career technical center, providing additional shop space for industrial classes, a new student center at Blackfoot High School, a new baseball/softball complex, a new competition soccer pitch, and a new competition track with stadium seating upgrades.
RELATED: Blackfoot School District braces for $23.9 million bond issue
At the assembly, there were renderings of what the projects would look like.
“Probably the biggest most important single thing that is going to happen in our community, is the building of the Blackfoot career technical center. There will be opportunities for our students like never before. We encourage you (the students) to take advantage of those opportunities and we are excited that the community is here to support us in that,” said Roger Thomas, principal at Blackfoot High School.
In a press release from the school district, officials said that they hope to partner with local institutions of higher education to coordinate adult education programs too.
“Blackfoot is home to a variety of successful industrial businesses. By partnering with those businesses, we plan to improve the skill level of our local workforce to help our community grow and prosper,” the news release said.
District board members, and those involved in the bond, went outside of Blackfoot High School after the school assembly and wore hard hats and had shovels in hand. They broke ground with the shovels in celebration of the projects.
“The reason why we have these opportunities today, these wonderful projects, is because our community believes in you (the students). They believe in giving you opportunities, giving you new pathways so that you, in turn, can leave a new legacy,” said Brian Kress, Superintendent for Blackfoot School District #55.
Financing for the upcoming projects came from a March 2021 voter-approved bond levy in the amount of $23.9 million. It received over 82% voter approval.
