School safety upgrades coming following grant funds | News | #schoolsaftey

“Each school will get some kind of safety upgrade,” School district Superintendent Dr. Teresa Rensch said.

The Heyburn Elementary school will receive around $40,000 of the funding to replace an exterior door and provide better lighting at the main entrance of the building.

UpRiver Elementary will receive around $21,000 of the funding which will go towards installing a second secure door at the main entrance of the school.

“Most schools have two secure entrances, and now UpRiver will have two as well,” Dr. Rensch said. “It should be a good project.”

St. Maries High School received around $17,000 of the funding to go towards more lighting along the goat trail and the main entrances of the school.

Finally, the St. Maries Middle School received $18,5000 of the funding to go towards more lighting and perimeter fencing.

Funding is based off of an audit the school conducts every few years.

The audit helps the district identify different safety needs that can them be included in grant applications when funding become available.

This year the state of Idaho allocated around $100,000 per school district, or around $20,000 per school building, based on need.

“We write the grant based on the audit and if there were certain safety measures that needed attention,” Dr. Rensch said. “If you continue to chip away at the audit, we become more safe and secure.”

The district is expecting even more upgrades to local school buildings as it moves forward with the $14 million dollar federal grant it received earlier this year.

More details on the grant funding and how it will impact local buildings will be discussed further at one of the upcoming Board of Trustee meetings.

For more information on projects at the school district, call the district office at 208-245-2579.