‘It’s a dream come true.’ New elementary school in Blackfoot is ready for students.
Published at | Updated at
BLACKFOOT — A local district will start the year with a new elementary school next week.
Riverbend Elementary School, which serves kindergarten through 5th grade, is at 730 East Walker Street in Blackfoot on property that used to be softball fields.
“We are very excited to open this new building,” said Superintendent Brian Kress.
It’s the first new school constructed in Blackfoot School District #55 since 1997. The project is part of a $23.9 million bond that passed in March 2021 with a voter approval rate of over 82%.
“I think it phenomenal for the state of Idaho,” said Kress. “It’s a dream come true for us. In the Blackfoot School District, we are a very conservative community, and we understand that, and we are grateful that they supported this.”
Kress invited the media to get a firsthand look at the facility. Riverbend Elementary took about two years to build and is just under 46,500 square feet. It holds about 23 classrooms.
The elementary will house students from a previous school, which is I.T. Stoddard Elementary School.
“That school is currently serving about 385 students, and this (Riverbend) has the capacity of 450 students,” Kress explained.
I.T. Stoddard will still be put to use and won’t sit empty.
“That’s what’s going to be renovated into our non-shop CTE classrooms. That’s where the culinary arts, the CNA and business classes and other classes like that will be held. They are currently housed at Blackfoot High School but we will relocate those classes to that building and hopefully have more room at Blackfoot High School,” Kress said.
Riverbend Elementary School cost $16 million. Other projects within the bond, plus money from grants, include building a Blackfoot Technical Education Center with six shop areas and adjoining classrooms and upgrading the football and track stadium at Blackfoot High School.
The community is invited to tour the new school at a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Friday, Aug. 16, at noon. Following the ribbon-cutting, the district will hold an open house. Refreshments will be served.
The first day of school for students at Riverbend Elementary is Aug. 21.
