Alturas Academy North Expansion Nears Completion in Rigby

The new charter school will serve up to 660 students in grades K-8 and is slated to open this fall.

Published on Mar. 11, 2026

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Months after its groundbreaking, Alturas Academy and EastIdahoNews.com toured the future Alturas Academy North in Rigby, Idaho. The charter school's third expansion aims to serve students from Jefferson, Madison, Ririe, and Bonneville counties. The new facility will feature two buildings and is on track for an early August completion.

Why it matters

The Alturas Academy expansion is part of a broader effort to provide more educational options and opportunities for students in eastern Idaho. As a charter school, Alturas Academy North will offer a unique learning environment focused on collaboration, communication, and 21st-century skills.

The details

The new Alturas Academy North campus will include two buildings that can accommodate up to 660 students in grades K-8. The classroom design emphasizes open hallways and collaborative spaces to foster a more socially engaging learning experience. One building will house the middle school grades 7-8 and include a 'Maker's Space' to support hands-on, project-based learning.

  • The groundbreaking for Alturas Academy North took place in August 2025.
  • Construction on the two buildings began in the fall of 2025.
  • The project is slated for completion in early August 2026, in time for the start of the new school year.

The players

Alturas Academy

A charter school network that is expanding to serve more students in eastern Idaho.

Michelle Ball

The executive director of Alturas Academy, who has overseen the construction of the new Rigby campus since 2017.

Headwaters Construction

The construction company responsible for building the Alturas Academy North campus in Rigby.

Rob Robinson

The project manager for Headwaters Construction, overseeing the construction of the new Alturas Academy North campus.

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What they’re saying

“We wanted those open hallways where we could build those quality spaces, where they could feel that freedom to do that.”

— Michelle Ball, Executive Director, Alturas Academy (EastIdahoNews.com)

“We are multi-age. We do not believe you categorize kids by grade level. We believe you reach them where they're at and continue them so we can just soar them on their journey. It's a lot of collaboration, a lot of communication, a lot of kids working together to develop those 21st Century skills.”

— Michelle Ball, Executive Director, Alturas Academy (EastIdahoNews.com)

What’s next

Headwaters Construction expects to complete the exterior work, including asphalt, curbs, and sidewalks, within the next week, paving the way for the new Alturas Academy North campus to open in the fall of 2026.

The takeaway

The Alturas Academy North expansion represents a significant investment in providing innovative, collaborative educational opportunities for students in eastern Idaho. As a charter school, Alturas Academy North will offer a unique learning environment focused on 21st-century skills, challenging the traditional model of education.