COEUR D'ALENE, ID. — The Coeur d'Alene School District declared a financial emergency. If the school district's $25 million supplemental levy fails again this year, it will have to close one or two elementary schools.
Borah Elementary School, Dalton Elementary School, Bryan Elementary School and Ramsey Elementary School, are all being considered as possible options.
Teresa Armstrong has taught at Borah Elementary School for more than a dozen years.
"I teach here because of the community and what's surrounding us," Armstrong said. "It was gutting like this has been the place where I've taught for 15 years."
Armstrong's son also goes to kindergarten at Borah Elementary.
"He's loving it," Armstrong said. "He's thriving here, and I don't think he can imagine himself being anywhere else, and neither could we."Â
Borah Elementary School is the reason Mary Hamilton says her bonus daughter will thrive when she goes to middle school.
"She is a learner that requires a flexible classroom, and Borah showed all of the flexibility and kindness and care that she needed," Hamilton said. "She has loved school every day since."Â
On May 16, voters will head back to the polls. The supplemental levy only needs a simple majority to pass.
Until then, Armstrong can only wait and hope.
"It's been my home away from home," Armstrong said. "You give yourself. You give your family less, because you give the school more. You know. It means a lot."
Rania Kaur is a multimedia journalist and producer at 4 News Now. Previously a reporter at KPLC-TV in Lake Charles, Louisiana, she reported on two catastrophic hurricanes, a winter storm, historic flooding and the pandemic. She stumbled into journalism after being a biochemistry major at Seattle University and immediately fell in love. Originally from Kent, Washington, her favorite things about Spokane are the weather, the parks and the people — she can’t wait to meet more of you. If you see her around say hi! She loves a good restaurant, so if you have any recommendations feel free to tell her. In her free time, you can catch her cheering for the Seahawks, binging Netflix, reading a book at a new coffee shop, or practicing Kirtan at the Gurdwara (ask her what that means)! If you have a story idea, you can email her at raniak@kxly.com, but you can also find her on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.
