NAMPA, Idaho — This article originally appeared in The Idaho Press.
The Nampa School District has continued to anticipate the outcomes of major changes coming in the 2024-25 academic year.
At Monday’s school board meeting, district staff and trustees discussed changes in staffing, schedules and more, with the possibility of state funding playing a large role.
STAFF LEAVING THE DISTRICT
The district sent a message to certified staff who were planning to leave the district this year. District staff have been offered incentives to submit an early notice of separation, ranging from $250 to $1,000. Numbers vary depending on how early the district is notified.
Incentives follow the school board’s decision to shut down four Nampa schools. West Middle School, Snake River Elementary, Centennial Elementary and Greenhurst Elementary will redirect current students to other schools next year. Teachers will also have to relocate.
“This was a unique situation this year, with us closing down schools,” Superintendent Greg Russell said, as this incentive isn’t normally offered.
The goal is to have a better idea of how many staff will be leaving ahead of time, rather than having the majority of staff notify the district at a later date.
As of March 8, 45 staff members had submitted letters of separation, totaling $43,250 in incentives.
“In the past, we have seen maybe 20 resignations,” Human Resources Director Gwen Hamlin said.
In previous discussions about staffing, Russell estimated that 26 staff would lose their positions due to school closures. The schedule change from A/B block semesters to period-based trimesters was also estimated to save the district money with 20 fewer full-time teaching positions.
Based on current notices of resignation, which include retirees, Nampa’s elementary staff is expected to be short by approximately seven positions. Middle schools are right at the district’s goal, while high schools are projected to be overstaffed by 15 staff districtwide.
Russell expects to see more secondary staff leave as the spring hiring season begins.
“We are likely going to have to have some conversations with our (high school) teachers to let them know, right now, we aren’t able to place them, but likely in the next couple weeks,” Russell said about keeping teachers updated on spots opening up.
DELAYS ON FOUR-DAY SCHEDULE
With the introduction of HB 521 by the Idaho Legislature, districts could be looking at new funds. The bill would provide additional financial support through sales tax revenue with facility maintenance in mind. According to the district’s website, the NSD could receive $46.8 million over the course of a decade.
At the time of the school board meeting, the bill had passed the House, but was still awaiting its next vote in the Senate.
“We’re not really sure why it hasn’t been forwarded, it has popular support,” Russell said.
Russell speculated that it could be due to districts voicing concerns about time requirements. According to the language of the bill, to qualify for state funding, districts must meet minimum day and hour requirements. The requirements may impinge Nampa’s considerations of transitioning to a four-day week.
On Thursday, the bill passed the Senate and was signed by Gov. Brad Little the following day.
Russell said the Idaho State Board of Education will discuss the budget in April and make final decisions by May. Meanwhile, the NSD can’t wait.
“We need to make a decision relatively soon,” Russell said about plans for the 2024-2025 school year.
School Board Vice Chair Jeff Kirkman expressed frustrations with the unknowns surrounding the bill’s passage at the time of Monday’s school board meeting.
With so many changes on the horizon in the NSD, including the school closures and the schedule shift from blocks to periods, Kirkman questioned whether the decision to move to a four-day school week should wait.
“I’m hearing from my kids, I’m hearing from other students, I’m hearing from parents,” Kirkman said. “I just think maybe this is a conversation that would be better after all the dust settles.”
School Board Chair Brook Taylor said it may be better to commit to a switch to four-day weeks now so that all major changes are implemented in the 2024-25 academic year.
“You’re going to have a really uncomfortable year no matter how you slice it next year,” Taylor said.
Considering a districtwide survey with 5,057 respondents, 60% of the staff, students and parents surveyed supported moving to a four-day schedule. The survey did not include considerations for switching at a later year.
“I think if (the board) took a vote today, I think I would be a no,” Trustee Jason Su said. “There’s too many questions.”
Su noted that the NSD would be the largest district in the state to run on a four-day schedule.
The board will decide whether to implement a four-day week now, later or not at all at a later meeting this spring.
DISTRICT PLANS BUS ROUTE CONSOLIDATION
Executive Director of Operations Cortney Stauffer presented plans to reduce the number of bus routes as student ridership decreases.
“Compared to the other districts around us, we are over-busing,” Stauffer said.
Over the past decade, Stauffer said bus ridership has declined greatly. In three years, Nampa has seen 2,000-3,000 fewer riders.
By removing nine routes, the district would save half a million dollars. This would include reducing two driving position hours to part-time and removing one technician, as employed by the district’s contractor, the Brown Bus Company.
However, the proposed change does not account for the potential of the district moving to a four-day class schedule.
“We’re kind of in a stalemate until we have more information,” Stauffer said.
This article originally appeared in the Idaho Press, read more on IdahoPress.com.
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