Bond resolution to rebuild Highland High School approved

POCATELLO, Idaho (KIFI) – Rebuilding Highland High School is now one-step closer.

On Thursday, the Pocatello/Chubbuck School District Board of Trustees approved a bond resolution to fund facilities construction at Highland High School. The election will be held on May 21.

The decision to approve the bond resolution was made in light of the March 22 deadline to place the measure on the ballot. Without having completed the legislative cycle for approval, the pending status of Idaho House Bill 521 also played into the decision. HB 521 is currently stalled in the Senate. Once signed by Governor Little, the new state facilities funding is projected to provide PCSD 25 with $43 million. Should HB521 be signed into law by the Governor, the Board authorized the administration to pull the bond election ballot language before printing. More information to educate the public about the bond proposal is forthcoming.

“We continue to await the results of this proposed legislation. With or without this new funding, we have a responsibility to return Highland High School to a fully functioning high school as soon as possible,” Board Chair Deanna Judy said. “The Board is united in its commitment to accomplish the monumental task of addressing Highland’s critical needs and bring the school’s facilities up to today’s modern standards."

If passed, the bond, in combination with insurance replacement monies, will fund the reconstruction of Highland High School as the project was proposed to local voters in November. While a 56% majority of the community was in favor of the November bond proposal, the final vote tally did not meet the nearly insurmountable supermajority threshold.

Funding provided by the bond will enable the district to undertake the comprehensive rebuilding project with a goal for completion in Fall 2027. The priority is to restore essential facilities and implement modern amenities to enhance the learning experience at Highland. In total, Highland lost approximately 75,000 square feet of space. The project includes: (a) replacing facilities lost or damaged in the April 2023 fire, (b) adding, remodeling, and modernizing science classrooms, (c) replacing and increasing the size of the gymnasium and activity space, (d) constructing an auditorium.

Throughout their discussions, the Board has focused on guiding goals to:

• Educate learners in facilities design for today’s standards
• Return all learners and extracurricular programs to campus
• Modernize science and music classrooms to meet the evolving needs of a growing student population
• Restore the gymnasium as a central hub of physical, academic, social, and cultural development, increasing the capacity and versatility of the facility to resume as the community-building heart of the school
• Restore functional gathering spaces critical to elevating the high school experience
• Build a functional auditorium to meet educational, cultural, and community needs
• Make prudent and fiscally responsible decisions

“I appreciate the Board’s diligence in looking at this challenge from every angle to balance fiscal responsibility with our obligation to educate learners in safe and functional facilities that are conducive to their overall educational experience and development,” Superintendent Dr. Douglas Howell said.