POST FALLS, Idaho — Amidst a spike in enrollment, the Post Falls School District is using emergency funds to accommodate additional students this year.
District leaders recently approved a $615,000 emergency levy after the district's enrollment rose by 144 students over the previous school year. The additional money will fund four teacher positions, six support staff, a school bus, and various classroom supplies.
"It's a little bit of a challenge when you have that many new students move in," said Post Falls School District Superintendent Jerry Keane.
Keane cited the area's growing population as a reason for the enrollment increase, calling the emergency levy approval the "nature of a growing district."
"This year is the most growth we've seen in one particular year since the economy turned around," he said, noting that enrollment growth surpassed two percent for the first time in a few years. "If you just drive down the street, it's not too far-fetched that we're going to get new students," he said in reference to construction projects in the area.
The district's total enrollment now sits at 6,185 students.
According to Keane, the emergency levy won't increase taxes for homeowners or businesses unless their property assessment was higher than the area average. Keane cited new construction in Post Falls funding part of the cost, calling the situation "growth helping to pay for growth".
All of the district's schools grew coming into the 2019 school year, Keane confirmed. Post Falls High School's enrollment increased by 45 students.
"It's a little chaotic," Keane said of the scramble to acquire new faculty members. "You're hiring teachers in late August. They're in in September, they come in on weekends and set up a classroom."
The levy approval was the first such emergency measure passed in at least seven years, Keane said. The educator is entering his 19th and final year as superintendent for the district.
"We've got react to what we see, and make sure that when a student walks into our doors they feel welcomed," he said.
The following video is a report on a special education program in Post Falls.