Lakeland High School, built in 1979, is slowly beginning to crumble. While alterations and improvements have been made, they can only do so much.
At this time, there is no plan for building a new high school in Rathdrum, but they do have the land to do it. With North Idaho growing at such a rapid pace, the need for a new high school becomes more and more prominent.
“The only thing we have is the land,” John Hatcher, LHS’ armed guard, said. “ It is right on the corner of Lancaster and Meyer by KTEC.”
Even though the ground is there to build on, the funds that are required to build this new school would be around $200 million.
This new high school, while pricey, would have many benefits for students and faculty.
Safety is a huge factor in the way schools are built. Sharp corners, windows in every classroom, security cameras and other features all contribute to school safety. LHS is a great school but lacks some of these important aspects.
“This school was built before school shootings were an issue, and new schools are built with that in mind,” Hatcher said. “They are built more tactically. They are rounded with no sharp corners for people to hide behind, and you can look down the halls and see everything.”
Along with lacking certain aspects of safety, LHS is also not the most eye-appealing. When students and teachers walk into a school, they want to feel proud of their building.
However, that is not always the case. There are cracks in the paint, oddly placed beams, and bathrooms that look like they could fall apart any second. That is not a school to be proud of.
“Kids would be happy to come to school in a new building,” Hatcher said. “It would be a place to be proud of. Everything would be brand new, including glass, LED lighting and a more modern design.”
Hatcher compares it to a 1976 Dotson and a new Jeep Wrangler, and how the Dotson would not be treated with nearly as much respect because the value is not as high.
“We just put a ton of money into courts and the track, for the community to see huge amounts of money we already put towards athletics, it makes it hard to upgrade the building,” Shannon LaFountaine said.
With the improvements that were made regarding the track and the taxes that were paid to do so, LHS feels that creating a plan for a new school is out of the cards for a while.
There have been many other additions to LHS. It has been added onto multiple times with new concrete walls. It might not be the best building to look at, but it will not fall down, and it is secure.
With that being said, there are so many other projects LHS needs to undergo to help clean up its many bumps and bruises.
One of the biggest things that would add to the fun of a new school would be a reliable heating and air conditioning unit.
LHS’ current HVAC system is not in the best condition. Some classrooms are freezing cold, while others are burning hot. This makes it difficult for students and teachers to get the most out of their learning and teaching.
“Certain classes are hot, and some are cold, and you can’t control it, which makes it hard for teachers who are in the same classroom all day, especially because some classes have no windows,” LaFountaine said.
LHS, as a whole, is a great school, but with the rapid growth rates in Idaho, it is vital that a new high school is built in Rathdrum within the next ten years. The high school will not be able to support the intake of new students coming to this area.
