January Update

It is hard to believe the first semester is coming to a close. The growth in our community has been a topic of discussion in many venues. During the 2020-21 school year, COVID-19 and the rising cost of housing made it difficult for us to predict our student enrollment for this school year. Once the dust settled, our SY22 enrollment not only increased but also exceeded our pre-pandemic enrollment.

Within the next few years, we will need a second high school, third middle school, and eighth elementary school. We have begun preliminary planning for these upcoming projects and look forward to sharing information with you as timelines and costs become solidified. If you are interested in viewing the long range facility plan click here.

Thank you for your continued support.

~ Dena Naccarato, Superintendent

The Post Falls School District is governed by a five-member Board of Trustees elected by the citizens of the district to serve overlapping terms of four years each. Board members are not paid for their services. Current board members are pictured above from left to right (Jake Dawson, Zone 5; Logan Creighton, Zone 4; Bonnie Beaulieu, Zone 3; Michelle Lippert, Zone 2; Guy McAninch, Zone 1).

The Board is a policy-making body and within the framework of state law exercises control over the educational and financial affairs of the school district. The Board’s responsibilities include the management of district policies consistent with state and federal law while considering interests of students, staff and community. Other Board activities include approving bond and levy elections for operational and facility needs. They also authorize major expenditures and the purchase and sale of school property. School Boards advocate for public education through community partnerships and school/district initiatives. School Board members have no power to act individually in the name of the Board. Action can only be taken when the Board is meeting in formal session with a majority of its members present. The Board recognizes it has an obligation to the people of Post Falls to plan the best possible educational program and to expend revenues wisely.

The regular meetings of the Board of Trustees are held at 6:00pm at River City Middle School, 1505 N Fir, Post Falls, Idaho, the second Monday of each month. The meeting is held in public for the purpose of conducting board business.

Below are pictures of our newly elected board members.

In December, the PFSD Board of Trustees approved the district's new Strategic Plan (link).

Background: District administration assembled business leaders, a parent representative from each school, food service and IT directors, and a elementary and secondary principal representatives to serve on the committee. Businesses represented were Greenstone Homes, Northwest Specialty Hospital, Ednetics, and Jordan Sales and Service. Prior to assembling this group, the district leadership team (building administrators and department directors) reviewed the old plan and suggested revisions to provide a starting point for the working group.

Process: The Strategic Planning Committee met three different evenings over a three-week period and engaged in rich discussion, debate, and respectful discourse. In the end, our new Strategic Plan more aptly represents the Post Falls School District in the 21st century by updating goal areas, expanding objectives, and eliminating “educationese” to better reflect the desires of our community.

Just a reminder that Friday, January 28th marks the end of 1st semester for all students. Schedule changes will be effective on Monday, January 31 for middle and high school students.

Board Policy 501.9 "Attendance Requirements" - It is the policy of the Board of Trustees that every student of compulsory school age must be in attendance unless otherwise exempt as provided in Idaho Code. Board procedures related to attendance notifications by the schools were updated in November. (link to the full policy)

Though students should stay home when they are sick, beginning second semester, parents will be notified either through a mailed letter or Skyward email when students reach five (5) and nine(9) excused or unexcused absences per semester. (link to new procedures)

As we all know, social media is not a reliable news source, and negative social media use can lead to serious consequences. Recently there have been a couple incidents of social media disrupting the educational environments of our schools.

How can you help?

Talk to your students about . . .

• Being nice. Mean behavior on social media is never OK.
• Thinking twice before hitting "enter." Do not post photos or videos which jeopardize safety or character.
• Using privacy settings. Never accept friend requests from people they do not know.

Most importantly, keep an open dialogue with your child. Take time to talk to them about the pressures of social media and how to use it responsibly. Thank you!

Mission: Raise $1600 to Purchase a Special Bike built in Boise

for the new Post Falls Veterans Home (est. 2022)

This bike will be a ‘house warming’ gift from the PFSD elementary students. Veterans and their visitors can use it to enjoy the nearby Centennial Trail.

Donations of any size may be dropped off at any PFSD elementary school office.

At New Vision High School, Rich Raynor and his advisory class have been working hard to open an on-site clothing closet. Available to the 100+ students at the school, the clothing closet offers a variety of new and gently used clothing, including winter coats. This spring the advisory class hopes to open this opportunity to other PFSD students and families for a few hours every month or by appointment.

The district takes very seriously any safety-related issues for students, staff, parents and patrons caused by severe weather. North Idaho winter months encompass a variety of weather conditions. Please be aware of the cold, wind and ice, and dress your child accordingly.

District schools may close for the day or start two hours later when weather creates hazardous road conditions. School closures or two-hour late starts are announced between 5:45 a.m. and 8:00 a.m. on the following radio stations: KVNI, KCDA, KISS, KXLY, KDRK and on television stations KREM-2, KXLY-4 and KHQ-6. School closures or two-hour late starts will be posted on the district website. The district will also utilize the School Messenger notification system for parents with texting capabilities on their cell phones who have opted in to the School Messenger system.

* To receive school notifications you must opt-in to school messenger. Please follow the steps below to opt in:

• Send a text message to 67587 with the word “Yes” or "Y" in the body of the text.

• You will receive a confirmation text reply affirming your registration with School Messenger

The Idaho State Department of Education is providing free, online QPR (Question, Persuade and Refer) Gatekeeper Training for Suicide Prevention to Idahoans (ages 18 and over) who interact with students at home or at school! This includes all members of a school’s community: educators, parents, grandparents, school staff, staff at youth organizations, coaches, and more! The training only takes 1-2 hours to complete. Get started here.

We want as many caring adults as possible prepared and trained to connect students with support and resources! Thank you for taking the time to complete this course which will help our community protect and support our youth.

We currently have 22 open positions in Post Falls School District. Like many other employers in our area, we are experiencing a labor shortage. We are seeking motivated parents and community members interested in filling the following positions:

• Secretary / Bookkeeper
• Paraprofessionals, including bus aides, speech / language paraprofessionals, duty, etc.
• Behavior Interventionist
• Coaches
• Substitute teachers

Qualifications: varies depending on position. All applicants should enjoy working with students.We have full-time and part-time positions available. Full-time positions (more than 32.5 hours per week) include health, dental and retirement benefits. Depending on the position, the starting hourly wage ranges from $12.60 to $18.27 DOE.

Applicants will need to apply online and pass the State Department of Education mandated criminal history/background check. The applicant pays the required $35 background check fee.

If you are interested in any of our open positions, complete the online application. More employment information can be found on our district "Employment Information" webpage. Please call the District Office at 208-773-1658 with any questions.

Email: info@sd273.com
Website: https://www.pfsd.com/
Location: 206 West Mullan Avenue, Post Falls, ID, USA
Phone: (208) 773-1658