NAMPA, Idaho — This article originally appeared in the Idaho Press.
A combination of reduced funding sources resulted in a difficult 2023-2024 school year full of hard decisions in the Nampa School District. Students are back from summer break this week with new schools and new schedules.
In a recent interview with the Idaho Press, Superintendent Gregg Russell said that budget adjustments are a part of planning every year but that this year was particularly tight.
“To me, it’s not any different. It’s something you would do every year,” he said. “I think what was unique about last year was three things hit at once: the state making that decision (to end enrollment-based funding), the federal dollars going away, and then our enrollment dropping yet again.”
The federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act, also known as CARES, provided emergency funds to schools during the COVID-19 pandemic. For many districts this year, the fund has officially run out.
Also during the COVID-19 pandemic, Idaho moved to enrollment-based funding and away from attendance-based funding to support districts while students were not in school. As of 2023, the state moved back to attendance-based funding, resulting in a $5.5 million annual decrease.
The NSD also took a hit with the failed passage of a $210.2 million bond in March 2023.
“If you look at what that funding change did to schools, it led to some of the things that you’re seeing across the state, with having to make some closures,” Russell said. “But unfortunately, I don’t see that changing.”
CLOSING SCHOOLSIn December 2023, the NSD board voted to close four schools at the end of the academic year — a symptom of a reduced budget and shrinking enrollment.
The decision was not an easy one as parents made emotional pleas in hopes of keeping their children’s schools open. The board ultimately voted 3-2 in favor of closing the schools.
“This is a hard decision,” Chair Brook Taylor, who was against the closures, said at the time of the vote. “We live in your community. We’re your friends. I was raised in your schools. So this is a very personal decision for us.”
West Middle School, Snake River Elementary, Centennial Elementary and Greenhurst Elementary have since shut their doors. The schools were selected based on low enrollment, aging infrastructure and location. According to previous enrollment figures, an estimated 1,500 students were relocated due to these closures.
West has since been repurposed for two alternative schools, Union School and Nampa Academy. Snake River is now home to the Gateways School, another alternative program.
With these relocations, the former Sunny Ridge Elementary and Lincoln Elementary buildings are now vacant and likely to be demolished.
Rather than being demolished, Centennial Elementary has been reutilized for School Resource Officers and the local Boys & Girls Club.
Russell said his priority has been to ensure students have access to quality education and resources. Though, he understood the emotional response from community members.
“A school is a part of the community,” Russell said. “Anytime you take away a school — that’s where people feel connected, particularly the schools that we’ve had in our district where they’ve been around for generations.”
The school closures highlighted a struggle to maintain aging facilities, not just in Nampa, but across the state.
Low enrollment was also a major factor. Since 2013, the district has seen a reduction of over 1,000 students, despite booming population growth in the Treasure Valley.
Not only did the move to attendance-based funding reduce the district’s budget, but low enrollment has also led to fewer students in the classroom. Russell noted that the NSD was not the only district seeing this enrollment drop, but that the state as a whole saw a net decrease in enrollment.
During preparation and the relocation of staff who worked at the now-closed schools, Russell said the district worked closely with building administration to make decisions.
As of May 31, 86 certified staff members had resigned and 35 non-rehires did not have their contracts renewed for the 2024-2025 school year, according to the district. Certified staff are those with teaching certifications.
Separately, 82 teachers have been relocated due to the district’s school closures.
“You’re always making decisions to benefit your kids, and so there’s always that pressure,” Russell said. “I think there’s always that focus, that you’re dealing with people’s children, and you’re dealing with the education of children and providing them the things that they need. Things that they need to be successful in life. “
Coming into the 2024-2025 school year, Russell said the district has managed to fill positions that have previously been a struggle to recruit, such as special education teachers.
SCHEDULE CHANGES
Among major changes this year is the introduction of four-day school weeks, approved by the board in April. Nampa is now the largest school district in Idaho with a four-day schedule.
Russell said the idea came about after the district received many requests from faculty.
“What we found out is, it really wouldn’t save the district finance-wise, but as we’d explored that … we found out that is really beneficial to our staff,” Russell said.
Districts with four–day weeks saw improved staff retention as the schedule offers better work-life balance and more preparation time for teachers, according to Russell.
“Hiring teachers is very competitive now, it’s not getting easier,” Russell said. “And we felt this is something that, if we’re going to explore and look at changes, this might be the year to do that.”
Going into this semester, Russell was happy to report that the district is fully staffed. Comparatively, two years ago, the district had 13 positions left unfilled that were difficult to hire. This included special education teachers.
“I think we’re already seeing the impact now, and I’m curious to see how that impact is going to go in the future,” Russell said.
The district’s schedule changes have also included a move away from a two-semester block schedule to a trimester with periods. Students now have six classes per day instead of four. This decision was announced in February despite some student opposition.
The schedule change considered student achievement, financial savings and faculty-student interactions. The district has heard from faculty who enjoy the prospect of being able to see their students every day, rather than running on an A/B day schedule, Russell said.
The main cost-saving effect of the schedule change comes in the form of teaching hours, saving money with 20 fewer full-time teaching positions.
The district previously estimated an average savings of $75,000 per position. In total, the district should save $1.5 million annually from the schedule change.
Community members have expressed concern regarding child care, particularly during Fridays when they are not home. Russell said community partners have been a big help in providing resources for these families.
“We’re really blessed here now that we have quite a few community partners that already support kids that were willing to partner with the district,” Russell said. “I would encourage families, if they have that need, to really reach out to our district. We’ll help to connect them.”
LOOKING FORWARD
Russell has been with the NSD for years, serving as a principal at Snake River Elementary before joining district administration. Russell has now been superintendent for over two years.
He expects that his role will continue to entail balancing a tight budget while considering students first.
“Finances required us to make all of those changes,” he said. “The closing schools, the changing of boundaries and the schedule were all financially driven. Those had to be made.”
If cuts had not been made, Russell said programs and more staff would have been cut instead.
Since Nampa’s closures, the Caldwell School District and Boise School District have both closed a neighborhood elementary school. Other districts in the state have also made similar cuts in the past year.
“I think we were a little bit ahead of it,” Russell said. “Because we were able to kind of predict where our finances were.”
Russell said he has had the opportunity to speak with state officials and shared perspectives on funding concerns. Still, he doesn’t anticipate changes to resolve this past year’s drastic funding loss.
Amid budget considerations, Russell said the NSD has seen improved student assessment scores this past year and credits district teachers for this success.
While this year has had its challenges so far, he hopes to continue focusing on student achievement as a priority.
“I don’t know if any one year is more difficult,” Russell said. “The position itself (superintendent) has a great deal of responsibility ... I look back in the years prior, even the years when I was a principal and the years when I was a teacher, there were always challenges. So, it’s kind of the nature of the job and it’s the nature of being in public education.”
This article originally appeared in the Idaho Press, read more on IdahoPress.com.
