LPOSD stakeholders give middle school input

SANDPOINT — Lake Pend Oreille School District plans to spend $18.5 million to improve Sandpoint Middle in the coming years. On Tuesday, district officials asked stakeholders how they should spend it. 

“The intention of the meeting is for you all to give us input on what you would like to see in the renovation project here,” Superintendent Dr. Becky Meyer told attendees. 

Meyer and facilities manager Matt Diel faced participants and took notes as suggestions were voiced. Cory Trapp of LTA Architects — the contractor that will design the middle school’s renovation — was also present and provided insight. 

“We’re familiar with this kind of project,” Trapp said. “There’s a lot of good bones to this building.” 

LTA Architects bid on the contract earlier this year and was awarded the project in October. The firm has had a hand in updates to several North Idaho schools; LTA designed the 2019 renovation of Lakes Middle School in Coeur d’Alene. 

During the meeting, stakeholders emphasized the need to improve temperature control throughout the building, upgrade lighting and expand the school’s cafeteria. Some asked for improvements to the building’s gymnasium and parking lot, and according to Principal Geoff Penrose, students want less crowded hallways. 

While many attendees suggested specific upgrades, some voiced a desire to just see critical systems fortified. 

One commenter referenced the December 2023 pipe burst that closed the building for multiple days, and asked district officials to make sure “things aren't going to be breaking, causing kids to miss school or have to do school remotely.”

“My kid, specifically, engages a lot better if he's in class, in-person,” they added. 

Another attendee asked whether refurbishing the 71-year-old building was worth it, or if it would make more sense to demolish it and build an entirely new facility. 

“If you take care of the building, you can make it last long,” said Trapp. 

Trapp told attendees that the school can operate with its existing frame if the facility's core systems are updated. Still, he recognized the building would likely be retired in a state with more public education money. 

“If we were in Washington, this building would be torn down,” Trapp said. “In Idaho we don’t get that kind of funding.” 

According to Meyer, LPOSD recently accepted bids for construction services for the project and will select a contractor in the near future. Diel told attendees work on the building will likely begin in the summer of 2026.