Tribe donates over $100,000 to local schools

Since 2004, the Kootenai Tribe of Idaho has made several generous donations to the Boundary County School District.

This year is no exception with a donation of $81,000 to the district.

The Tribe also donated $7,000 to Valley View Elementary and $5,000 to each Naples and Mt. Hall elementaries and Riverside High School. 

“We are very excited and appreciative of the Tribe. They have been very supportive, very helpful and very beneficial to the school district over the years,” said Supt.Don Bartling.

The Tribe presented Boundary County School District with a Proposition I check for $81,000 on Sept. 2.

The money is earmarked for new bleachers at the middle school. Any remaining money will be used to purchase new computers for the students.

“We have been trying to come up with the money (for the bleachers) for the last 10 years,” said Bartling.

According to Bartling, the bleachers were installed in the 1970’s and need to be replaced.

Previous year’s donations have purchased a student information system, a business information system, general materials, supplies and computers.

 The girl’s softball field at the high school was also made possible with a donation from the Tribe.

“They have been very generous and kind to the school district,” said Bartling. “Both the Kootenai Tribe of Idaho and the Boundary County School District share a common desire for the betterment of education in Boundary County.”