Local elementary school’s future unknown
A big decision to be made in St. Anthony. The future of the vacant Lincoln Elementary School is unknown.
The Department of Corrections would like to make it an extension of the nearby work camp, but the city has another idea. They want to convert it into a new space for Idaho Art Lab.
But at the end of the day, the decision is up to the school board.
In a written statement from the DOC, they say they can keep more than 100 inmates in the state by housing low-risk inmates while creating more jobs in the area.
But the city has a different idea.
They would like the building gifted to them so they can rent it to Idaho Art Lab, a community art center.
“They have programs a lot of citizens are involved with, painting, pottery, they just do a lot of stuff and they’re kind of cramped where they are. The Lincoln school with all the rooms, will allow them instead of having to set stuff up and tear it down, they can kind of have individual rooms where they could set stuff up and leave them and that will make it better for them,” says Mayor Donald Powell.
But ultimately, the decision is up to the school board
“We need to gather as much information as we can so that I can give them a full proposal and then they can make that decision. They don’t have to take my proposal if they choose not to it’s the board decision,” says Byron Stutzman, superintendent of Fremont County School District.
The city council will talk more about the proposal during Thursday’s meeting.
The topic is on the agenda for the September school board meeting.
A decision could be made then or it could be tabled.
