The Boundary County School District 101 Administrative Office has been moved into offices built at the north end of Valley View Elementary in offices built after the school gym collapsed under the weight of heavy snow 26 years ago.
The move is part of the district’s 10-year plan to replace the school, built in the wake of World War II around 80-years ago and one of the state’s eldest and most feeble, and try again to sell the Oak Street property to help offset the cost of giving the students and taxpayers of Boundary County an elementary facility that is safe, efficient and sound enough to last anywhere near as long as the venerable old building now overlooking the Purcell Trench, the valley viewed and remembered by so many generations of students.
Initial plans had the benefit of strategic planning, precise timing. And all fell moot at about 7:10 p.m. Tuesday, April 4, 2023, when Superintendent Jan Bayer was thrown back from her desk, a cascade of books showering down on her. A minivan, driver still at the wheel trying to start it, had come perilously close to breaching the wall, but even so, the buckling of the roof opened leaks that couldn’t be repaired with bubble gum, band aids and baling wire.
Estimates ran into the thousands of dollars and not even then was there a modicum of assurance that the ceiling, would ever not leak.
“Part of our 10-year plan was to build a new Valley View and sell the District Office.” Superintendent Jan Bayer said. “The proceeds from the sale would be used to build additional office space, bathrooms, conference room and storage. The goal was fiscal responsibility by saving on lawn care, snow removal, fire systems, etc. Unfortunately, when the building was hit it made it essential for us to ‘speed up’ our plan. We could not stop the roof from leaking without investing thousands of dollars and we felt that was not being fiscally responsible. We are in the process of digitizing the vault. Once that is completed, then the building and property will be put on the market.”
In other SD101 construction news … The bleachers are almost complete!
“We still need to sand and stain, but we will do that soon,” Superintendent Jan Bayer said. “We are still accepting donations for seats. I have attached the form for your reference. It would be a great graduation present for parents to ensure their child’s name is a part of Badger history. We are still sitting at $59,224.90. We are going to make a big push in the next couple of weeks (Bleacher Donation Form). We will start ordering the name plates June 1.”