Community invited to weigh in on proposal to permanently close Pocatello schools and redraw district boundaries
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POCATELLO – Members of the community will have a chance to speak directly to the school board on a district-shaping proposal this week.
Pocatello/Chubbuck School District 25 has scheduled a public hearing in the Pocatello High School Gym on Wednesday at 7 p.m. The district’s patrons will be able to provide feedback on a proposal to address declining enrollment numbers, to redraw the district’s boundaries and close Washington Elementary School.
“The Pocatello/Chubbuck School District is committed to ensuring a sustainable and high-quality educational experience for all learners, despite the challenges posed by declining enrollment,” said Courtney Fisher.
RELATED | Pocatello trustees grapple with shrinking budget and a school closure decision
The Elementary Attendance and Enrollment Area Committee made its proposal to the district at a November board meeting, prompting numerous neighbors to speak in support of the school.
Addressing the declining budget caused by losses in student population is a priority for the district. In the last seven years, it lost 742 students, according to the committee’s proposal document.
In a special meeting on Tuesday, business operations director Jonathan Balls spoke about the declining budget. He said the district lost $4.7 million from its funding in the last year alone.
One of the main reasons the committee selected Washington Elementary to close is due to the building’s continued costs of operation. The district provided a document that showed the building would cost $11.2 million over a 20-year period.
After the November meeting, a group of neighbors and others formed a group called the Washington Elementary Advocates. They gathered for an event called March for Washington, where they marched from Caldwell Park to the school on Dec. 14.
The school board held another public comment section on Dec. 17, where Dakota Bates spoke as a representative and reaffirmed his group’s intention to assist the school board in finding solutions to the district’s declining enrollment that don’t include school closure.
“Our ultimate goal is to collaborate with you and provide you with maybe some information or perspectives that you’re not hearing,” Bates said.
Also speaking at that meeting were people in support of Tendoy Elementary. It’s another school the committee is looking at closing.
“I implore you to see beyond the numbers, see the faces of the children who depend on this school, the families who cherish it and the community that would be irrevocably damaged by its closure or the closure of any elementary school,” said Stefanie Powers, a teacher at Tendoy.
Fisher encouraged community members to come and speak to the school board on Wednesday, saying the trustees have not made up their minds.
The trustees could potentially hold a vote on the proposal as soon as the next regular board meeting on Jan. 21.
“While no decisions have been made to date, the Board could potentially take action at the regular board meeting in order to accommodate the timeline for implementing any changes for the 2025-2026 school year,” Fisher said.