By Devin Rokyta, Daily News staff writer
June 27, 2008
Palouse Prairie Charter School officials cleared a major hurdle Thursday in their attempt to open a school in Moscow, when the Idaho Public Charter Commission voted to reverse its earlier denial of the group's charter petition.
School officials hope to locate the four-classroom facility at 321 E. Palouse River Drive - the current location of the Now & Then antique shop - and have the school open for students in August 2009.
Nils Peterson, chairman of the Palouse Prairie board of directors, said the school expects to enroll 75 students in grades K-6 for its inaugural year. School officials plan to eventually educate seventh- and eighth-graders as well.
The proposed school first sought its approval through the Moscow School District in 2006. However, its board members stopped the process in September 2006 and decided to apply for a charter through the state commission instead.
The state denied the school's first attempts at securing a charter because of concerns related to its budget and the lack of a suitable facility. The Palouse Prairie board of directors had proposed two possible sites for the school, including a spot near The Silos development in east Moscow and the first floor of the 1912 Center in Moscow.
Commission Chairman Bill Goesling of Moscow said school officials addressed those concerns at an appeals hearing in late May and at Thursday's meeting. The new location they proposed on Palouse River Drive alleviated location concerns and they secured two grants that addressed budgetary issues.
"This gave us a more comfortable feeling that they had the resources and the facilities to make a go at it," Goesling said.
Peterson is pleased to see the proposed school is now making headway.
"It's been three-and-a-half years getting this far and we are excited to finally get out of the starting gates," Peterson said. "This was not a one-person show, this was a team effort."
The school still must secure a conditional use permit from the city of Moscow and address several remodeling issues before the school can be opened. Peterson is confident the city will approve a permit.
"I think we can make a convincing case and I think the location we found is not going to be problematic to its neighbors," Peterson said.
Moscow School District Superintendent Candis Donicht is on vacation and was not available for comment.
More information about the Palouse Prairie Charter School can be found at PalousePrairieSchool.org.
Devin Rokyta can be reached at (208) 882-5561, ext. 237, or by e-mail at drokyta@dnews.com.
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