KOOSKIA — “Will Skip Brandt be here tonight?” questioned patron MaryAnn Blees of Clearwater as the Mountain View School District 244 meeting started Thursday, Nov. 17.
“No, he will not be,” board chair Larry Dunn of White Bird answered.
After a group of Mountain View School District 244 patrons waited outside in temperatures in the teens for about 20 minutes, they learned the fate of what many had come to the meeting to discuss.
A petition for excision and annexation of Kooskia and Elk City schools from Mountain View School District 244 is null and void.
“Legal counsel has informed us this does not meet the requirements for a petition under Idaho Code,” Dunn stated at the meeting.
Patrons had waited outside the Clearwater Valley Elementary School gym while waiting for the board to finish its executive session. Approximately 25 audience members were in attendance at the meeting where the petition issue was listed on the agenda.
While waiting, one patron stated, “This was a surprise dropped on us. We need more information.”
The petition was brought forward by R. Skipper Brandt and Greg Johnson to move the aforementioned schools to Kamiah Joint School District 304.
Superintendent Steve Higgins said the petition did not meet the state’s requirements and that MVSD would go ahead “as if nothing has changed.”
“I’m not saying this won’t be brought up again, but for now we are moving forward, no changes,” he said.
He mentioned later in the meeting that, for planning purposes, the decision was helpful.
“Otherwise, we were kind of in limbo for planning a budget or discussing a levy and other budgeting items,” he said. “It’s almost impossible to plan when you don’t know the tax base or how many students will be in the district.”
Brandt was reported in the Lewiston Tribune last week as saying he would be discussing the matter further with the state, as he feels the petition is valid.
