KSD3 News
Weekly Update from Superintendent Wendy Johnson
5.19.2023
In this update:
- 🕵️ What's next as we grow?
- 📣 Gifford to lead our curriculum, instruction & assessment work
- ⚠️ Graduations: What you need to know before you go next week!
- 🏆 Hubbard teacher recognized by state superintendent
- 🗓️ Looking ahead in our schools
🕵️ What's next as we grow?
In Monday's school board report, your trustees shared information about our plan to spend some time listening to the community through surveys and in person sessions to better understand why our recent bond failed.
In the meantime with no new learning spaces on the horizon, what can families expect in our schools with new homes bringing more students to our schools? The answer is simple: expect more students in the same physical spaces we have now.
Currently, our high schools, Reed, Kuna Middle, and Kuna High are over capacity. Our other schools are at or near capacities. If growth hits projections, all our schools will be over capacity in a few years.
Our school and district leaders are working to create plans for next August. One of those plans includes shifting students to a different school from their neighborhood school. For example, if a 5th grade is full at one school, new 5th graders would need to go to another school. We will also look at utilizing non classroom spaces for students.
Our high schools are over capacity now. Teachers are already sharing classrooms and teaching in other spaces. School leaders continue to discuss how to manage with more students in the same physical space.
We look forward to listening to your thoughts in the coming months.
📣 Gifford joins district support; Moore will lead Reed in 2023-24
Kevin Gifford, new Curriculum, Assessment & Instruction Director
Michele Moore, new Reed Elementary School principal
- Kevin Gifford has agreed to serve as our next Director of Curriculum, Instruction & Assessment (CIA) and will help us to coordinate the very important work of ensuring students have access to a guaranteed, viable and relevant curriculum and engaging learning.
- Reed Vice Principal Michele Moore will take the helm as Principal of Reed Elementary School.
I'm so lucky to work with some of the best educational leaders in our great state, and we are all so glad that they have chosen Kuna to share their talents.
⚠️ Graduations: What you need to know before you go next week!
🎓 Initial Point High School 6 p.m. Wednesday at the KPAC
Initial Point High School graduation is Wednesday, May 24 at the Kuna Performing Arts Center. Please plan ahead for parking. There are no limits on guests.
Details about the ceremony:
- 4:30 p.m. dress rehearsal for graduates
- 5 p.m. doors open
- 6 p.m. ceremony starts
🎓 Kuna High School 2:30 p.m. Thursday at the Idaho Center
- All participating in the ceremony need to be lined up by 2:15 p.m. The ceremony will start promptly at 2:30
Doors will open at the Ford Idaho Center at 1:30 p.m.
Please allow time for traffic, parking, and security checks at the main entrance.
The ceremony will start promptly at 2:30 pm.
After the ceremony, the graduates will be outside the arena. They can be met outside for pictures and congratulations.
Can't attend in person? The event will be live streamed via the KHS Athletics & Activities YouTube channel.
🏆 Hubbard teacher recognized by state Superintendent
Idaho Superintendent of Public Instruction Debbie Critchfield visited Hubbard Elementary School this week to celebrate Kindergarten Teacher Bre Martin, who won Supt. Critchfield's statewide steps challenge. Bre won in a landslide, tracking 500,801 steps in February - a whopping 105 miles!
Bre and PE Teacher Beth Hoagland have teamed up for some fun learning activities that combine physical activity with literacy lessons, which students showcased for visitors.
Superintendent Critchfield also chatted with students and joined the staff for an after-school stroll.
🕵️ Rumor Mill: What's up with the dandelions this year?
Dandelions are a challenge every year.
To spray weeds, we need grass to be dry and healthy, we need no rain and ideally no wind. Most importantly: we can't have people present during and after application of herbicides and our fields are used a lot in the spring!
This spring, we faced a perfect storm that supported dandelion growth with the cold, wet, windy March, April and early May. These conditions pushed out when we could treat our lawns and fields which happened to coincide with the peak spring use of our outdoor space by our schools and community for spring sports and activities. As a result, the times were limited that our team could safely treat our grass with herbicides.
In addition, the tight job market has left several maintenance and ground positions open. (If you are interested, please apply here -- KSD is a great place to work!)
Our short-staffed team has been treating fields and dandelions are dying off.
Why not hire a company? We have a small contract to maintain the sports performance fields at the high school. To expand private contracting would be expensive with estimates between $300,000 and $500,000. The state provides no money for grounds care and upkeep.
Will it get better? We have maintenance staff rotating into grounds when available for the next two weeks. Thankfully, once the school year is finished, we have job shares starting and some of our awesome bus drivers and teaching staff will help us--almost doubling our grounds crew.
🗓️ Looking ahead in our schools
For details please check our online calendar at www.kunaschools.org
- May 22 - Negotiations
- 🎓 May 24 - Class of 2023 Elementary Graduation Walk
- 🎓May 24 - Initial Point High School graduation
- 🎓May 25 - 2 hour early release K-12; Kuna High/Swan Falls high school graduation
- May 29 - No school memorial day
- June 1 - Last day of school
- June 6 - Kuna School Board meeting first Tuesday **change from second Tuesday**
- June 26 - Policy Committee meeting ** Changed from June 5 **
- July 11 - Kuna School Board meeting
- Aug. 8 - Kuna School Board meeting
- Aug. 24 - First day of school students
🗓️ Looking ahead summer activities
🌞 Reed, Ross will offer free summer meals for kids
Kuna School District will offer two locations for free summer meals for children and teens age 18 and younger. Meals will be provided weekdays at the schedule below:
Reed Elementary School, 1670 N. Linder Road
- Breakfast served 8 to 8:35 a.m., weekdays, June 12-30
- Lunch served noon to 12:30 p.m. weekdays, June 12 to July 28 - no meals July 3-7
Ross Elementary, 610 N. School Ave Kuna
- Lunch served noon to 12:30 p.m. weekdays, June 12 to July 28 - no meals July 3-7