FILER, Idaho — Filer Middle School students face daily challenges navigating traffic along Highway 30, and at the same time, the district's plan to consolidate grades into Middle and Intermediate schools has resulted in a lack of space for students. To solve both problems, the district is hoping to capitalize on a rare opportunity.
They've acquired 17 acres of land next to the elementary and intermediate school, and are asking voters to approve a bond to build a new middle school at that location.
The 20-year bond that would fund the new school, along withCareer and Technical Ed improvements and Athletic field refinishing, totals $52 million. This bond will appear on the ballot for the May 20th election.
“We have a lot of safety procedures in place, but the potential is almost too much,” Principal Nate Losser told Idaho News 6. Highway 30, steps away from the front door of FMS, and students navigate it twice a day, whether on the bus, from parent pick-up, or traveling to after-school activities.
“We have a lot of kids on the north and into town that are going to be crossing the road to come to school, so that’s obviously one of our biggest safety concerns,” Losser said.
In addition to safety issues, Filer Middle School is currently at capacity.
“Especially if we want to reach our goal of having the sixth grade be a part of the middle school as well, we do not have the space,” Losser added.
Originally built as a gymnasium in 1939, the structure was expanded to become Filer High School in 1943, undergoing multiple additions over the years. School board trustees Tammy Kelly and Jeff Volle expressed concerns about the school's future as the community continues to grow.
“We’re starting to see our community has changed a lot in the last couple of years. The growth of construction is not stopping. If you hear the plans in the making, it's not going to stop anytime soon,” Kelly said.
Volle noted the district's desire to be proactive rather than waiting for overcrowding to necessitate less-desirable solutions, such as modular buildings. “If a piece of property comes [up] for sale that borders you, you don’t let it go,” Volle said.
The district has successfully acquired 17 acres adjacent to the current elementary and intermediate schools, which they believe is an ideal location for a new middle school. “So it turned out to be right next to the elementary school, so you have three schools that would become one campus. The continuity of parking lots and the flow of traffic will just be an immense improvement over what we have right now,” Volle explained.
In addition to the new middle school, the bond proposal would also fund two other significant projects: upgrades to the high school's career and technical education facilities, and improvements to the football field and track to meet competition standards for hosting track meets.
- - New Middle School: $41.1 million
- - Career and Technical Upgrades: $9.4 million
- - High School Football Field and Track: $1.5 million
The estimated average annual cost to taxpayers would be $302 per $100,000 of taxable value. The community will have a chance to weigh in on this proposal in the upcoming election.
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