BOISE, Idaho — The Harris Family Limited Partnership has donated a portion of their land to the Boise School District to house a new elementary school for their neighborhood.
The donation will save the Boise School District (BSD) a substantial amount in its effort to bring the Dallas Harris Elementary School to fruition.
"Today is a celebration and a thanks," John Mooney, President of the Barber Valley Neighborhood Association, said. "It was wonderful to be involved, to see something that the family has been working on for almost 50 years, since 1976."
Construction for the new, highly-anticipated elementary school is scheduled to begin in the coming months and will serve students from kindergarten to sixth grade. The school will welcome its first class of students for the 2023 school year.
“The Harris Family has planned this gift for a long time and are honored to donate the land for the site of our dad’s namesake elementary school,” Millie Davis, daughter of Dallas Harris, said. “Our father’s vision for a vibrant, connected community in east Boise continues to blossom and this elementary school is a key component of that community."
To celebrate the collaborative efforts of the Harris Family and Barber Valley Development (BVD), BSD hosted a media event at the site of the future school, located on the corner of E Barnside Way and E Haystack Street, and recognized the landmark donation.
"The neighborhood is extremely happy about how this has been developed," Mooney said.
BSD Board President, Dave Wagers, spoke at the event along with representatives from the Harris Family and BVD.
"We offer our sincere thanks to Boise School District and all that will be involved in bringing this school to life. We know our dad would be grateful for the partnership and hard work that has gone into ensuring our community’s children have access to a top-notch education,” Davis said.
The Harris Family also presented BSD with a bronze relief of Dallas Harris, which will be incorporated into the school building and grounds during construction.
"We would like to sincerely thank the Harris Family for the land donation that makes the building of Dallas Harris Elementary School possible,” Dave Wagers, President of the Boise School District Board of Trustees, said. “We’re excited about the positive impact the new school will have on our students, families and the community.”
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