‘It’s a dream come true.’ New elementary school in Blackfoot is ready for students.

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Published astatine 1:13 pm, August 13, 2024 | Updated astatine 1:13 pm, August 13, 2024

BLACKFOOT — A section territory will commencement nan twelvemonth pinch a caller simple schoolhouse adjacent week.

Riverbend Elementary School, which serves kindergarten done 5th grade, is astatine 730 East Walker Street successful Blackfoot connected spot that utilized to beryllium softball fields.

“We are very excited to unfastened this caller building,” said Superintendent Brian Kress.

It’s nan first caller schoolhouse constructed successful Blackfoot School District #55 since 1997. The task is portion of a $23.9 cardinal enslaved that passed successful March 2021 pinch a elector support complaint of complete 82%.

“I deliberation it phenomenal for nan authorities of Idaho,” said Kress. “It’s a dream travel existent for us. In nan Blackfoot School District, we are a very blimpish community, and we understand that, and we are grateful that they supported this.”

Kress invited nan media to get a firsthand look astatine nan facility. Riverbend Elementary took astir 2 years to build and is conscionable nether 46,500 quadrate feet. It holds astir 23 classrooms.

The simple will location students from a erstwhile school, which is I.T. Stoddard Elementary School.

“That schoolhouse is presently serving astir 385 students, and this (Riverbend) has nan capacity of 450 students,” Kress explained.

I.T. Stoddard will still beryllium put to usage and won’t beryllium empty.

“That’s what’s going to beryllium renovated into our non-shop CTE classrooms. That’s wherever nan culinary arts, nan CNA and business classes and different classes for illustration that will beryllium held. They are presently housed astatine Blackfoot High School but we will relocate those classes to that building and hopefully person much room astatine Blackfoot High School,” Kress said.

Riverbend Elementary School costs $16 million. Other projects wrong nan bond, positive money from grants, see building a Blackfoot Technical Education Center pinch six shop areas and adjoining classrooms and upgrading nan shot and way stadium astatine Blackfoot High School.

The organization is invited to circuit nan caller schoolhouse astatine a ribbon-cutting ceremonial connected Friday, Aug. 16, astatine noon. Following nan ribbon-cutting, nan territory will clasp an unfastened house. Refreshments will beryllium served.

The first time of schoolhouse for students astatine Riverbend Elementary is Aug. 21.