Wilder will demolish 1950s elementary school
tkeily@idahopress.com
Saturday, July 4th, 2009
WILDER — The Wilder School District has moved the demolition of Holmes Elementary School up to this month.
Built in 1955, the school was due to be demolished in January after construction on the new elementary school is completed. However, due to complications with the old building, the demolition is now scheduled to take place between July 13 and the end of the month.
"The problem we were running into was the primary heating source was a boiler," Superintendent Dan Arriola said. "We had to demo the boiler ... so we lost our heating source."
Open house sessions
The public can attend from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday at Holmes Elementary.
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"We looked at alternatives to heat the building but it was just too costly," he said. "We would rather allocate those funds for the new building and kids in the new building."
Open house sessions will be held next week for those who would like one last look at the building before its demise. Arriola said residents can also take a memento from the school if they would like. Many residents of Wilder and the surrounding area attended Holmes Elementary and this is a chance for them to see it for the last time, he said.
The decision to build a new school came after voters passed a $4.98 million bond last fall. The old Holmes Elementary building was out of date with no hallways, all classroom entrances from the exterior of the building and costly heating bills due to its energy inefficiency, Arriola said.
The name of the new school has not yet been decided. The School Board will decide between continuing the name Holmes Elementary or switching to Wilder Elementary.
Because the new school will not be completed before this fall, Wilder's 210 students in kindergarten through fifth grade will be taught at existing classroom space in the middle school, high school and portable classrooms. They will move into the new school after winter break.
Information about where elementary children will be taught will be distributed to parents in a newsletter sent out around the end of July or beginning of August. Parents with questions about the move can also call 482-6228, ext. 301 or 302.
