Beloved Coeur d'Alene elementary school at risk of closing

COEUR D'ALENE, Idaho -- A beloved elementary school in Coeur d'Alene may soon be forced to close its doors.

Borah Elementary has taught generations of students for 70 years, but the Coeur d'Alene School District's $6 million budget deficit is threatening its existence.

"The last five years declined 982 students," said Assistant Superintendent Patty Morrison. "So that and increasing expenses is putting us at that $6 million shortfall."

Borah has some of the lowest enrollment in the district, with just under 300 students.

Even though the district's levy passed last year, low enrollment, inflation and the state's attendance-based funding model have sustained the budget deficit.

Closing Borah could potentially save the district $1 million. If closed, the building might be repurposed to house the district's Early Learning Center.

Students and families are begging administrators to find another solution.

"You can see the love and the light that comes from that school. It's like a family there," said Borah parent Ally Henneman.

Parents of the school have created a petition to let the district know how much Borah means to the community.

"This needs to be a decision they really need to think about and potentially look at other options to save money because this is not fair," said Borah parent Alicia Sullivan.

The district is also considering a 4-day school week, increasing class sizes, cutting staff and putting a pause on adopting new curriculum in an attempt to lessen the budget shortfall.

"It's a really difficult decision," said Morrison.

The school board will vote on whether to close Borah in addition to other changes on April 29.

Before then, parents and students plan to continue advocating for their school.

"They can't close the school without hearing the other side of the story," said Henneman.

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