KSD3 News
Weekly Update from Superintendent Wendy Johnson
3/17/2023
In this update:
- đź‘‚Curious: Moving forward with the conversation, plans about growth & schools
- ✍️ Calendar Survey informs work for 2024-25 & 2025-26
- ⚠️ Dangers of youth vaping - focus of Idaho documentary airing Tuesday
- 🗓️ Looking ahead in our schools
- Community events & resources
What's next? Moving forward with the conversation, plans about growth & schools
Kuna community,
On Tuesday we received the majority of voters' support (56%) to fund the first phase of our 10-year capital plan, but not the supermajority (66.7% ) required for passage of a bond in Idaho.
In the days since the election, I've been asked to speculate about the "whys" of the election results.
The answer is we don't know why -- and we're curious to know more.
It's my hope we can connect with folks who said "no" to better understand the concerns with the plan which did receive significant voter support -- just not enough to cross over a high bar for approval.
I also have been asked what we will do to handle overcrowding without the new learning spaces that would have been funded with a successful bond.
We are beginning the discussions about what we could do with the resources available. We'll meet with principals, building leadership teams, and our parent advisory councils to get input to finalize proposals for the school board.
I look forward to the conversation about the bond and the ideas to manage overcrowding as we strive to serve our students now and in the years to come.
Thank you to all who stepped up to share information with voters. We appreciate you.
✍️ Calendar Survey informs work for 2024-25 & 2025-26
More than 960 participants provided feedback to the calendar committee on our recent survey. Here's a quick recap of the results:
- Overall, the current calendar received a 4 out of 5 stars rating
- 58% of certified staff preferred keeping the number of non-contract days the same and the use of those days the same (these are the days that shape vacations)
- 69% of certified staff preferred keeping the first day back from Christmas vacation a professional development/work day without students present
- Of the five options for October days, two options: 1) keeping the days as vacation days and 2) using the two days to create two small three day vacations in October and April ranked highest among survey takers
- The top-ranked choice for the start and end of the school year was our current model starting the last week of August and ending after memorial day
- Of the six choices for spring break, there was not a majority preference. The top choices were: 35% current schedule and 22% no opinion.
- 25% were interested or very interested in ending the first semester at the start of Christmas vacation knowing it would require other changes to the first semester vacations and the start date of school.
- 57% of participants were interested or very interested in a committee researching a four-day student week.
What's next?
➡️ The calendar committee will shape options for the 2024-25 & 2025-26 school years for the school board to consider
➡️ Kuna representatives will discuss with other school districts in the Treasure Valley whether a common spring break is desirable.
➡️ District administration will discuss with the Board of Trustees what research would be needed to inform a decision about a four-day week for students.
➡️ A number of comments in the survey were focused on areas -- early release times, bell schedules, etc. that are not decided by the calendar committee. This feedback will be shared with other work groups.
FYI: Next year's calendar was set last year - link below
Kuna School Resource officers Detective Thai and Bunnell spoke with 5th graders at Reed Elementary this week today to talk about Vaping and E-Cigarettes
⚠️ Dangers of youth vaping focus of Idaho documentary airing Tuesday
Idaho Public Television will put Idaho’s youth vaping crisis front and center with its upcoming documentary, “Nic Sick,” set to air at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, March 21. The documentary is aimed at dispelling many of the misconceptions about youth vaping and ultimately helping Idaho students make safe choices for their health and future.
“Nic Sick” will feature teens from across the state talking candidly about their struggles to overcome vape addiction and the health consequences that come with it. Idaho toxicologists, medical professionals, law enforcement, and cessation experts will also sound the alarm in this full-length program. These resources are available now at www.IdahoPTV.org/KNOWVAPE.
🗓️ Looking ahead in our schools
For details please check our online calendar at www.kunaschools.org
- March 20 - Superintendent's Advisory Council
- March 22 - Parent-Teacher Conferences Kuna and Swan Falls high school
- March 23 - Growth Committee 6 p.m., virtual meeting
- March 23-25 - KHS' Act III Productions: Mouse Trap
- March 27-31 - Spring Break
- April 4 - Negotiations
- April 5 - Kuna School District Employee Health Fair
- April 11 - Kuna Board of Trustees meeting
- April 11 - KHS Spring Band Concert, 7 p.m.
- April 15 - First Lego League Explore Expo, Hubbard Elementary School
- April 17 - Superintendent Advisory Council
- April 19 - Incoming Kindergartner Open House
- April 27 - AVID showcase Ross Elementary School
- April 28-29 - Kuna FFA Plant Sale
- April 30 - Deadline to apply for open enrollment for 2023-24 school year
- May 2 - Negotiations meeting
- May 3 - KHS Senior awards
- May 4-6 - Act III Productions "Blood & Sequins," 7 p.m. Kuna High School
- May 9 - Kuna Board of Trustees meeting
- May 9 - Kuna Middle School concert
- May 12 - No school students - teacher in-service
- May 11-13 - KHS Choir Spring pops concert, 7 p.m. Kuna High School
- May 15 - KHS Spring Orchestra concert, 7 p.m. Kuna High School
- May 16 - Kuna Middle School Band concert, 7 p.m. , Kuna Middle School
- May 18 - KHS Spring Band concert, 7 p.m., Kuna Middle School
- May 18 - KHS Visual Art Exhibition, 5 to 7 p.m., Kuna High School
- May 24 - Class of 2023 Elementary Graduation Walk
- May 24 - Initial Point High School graduation
- May 25 - Kuna High/Swan Falls high school graduation
- June 1 - Last day of school
- June 6 - Kuna Board of Trustees meeting first Tuesday * change from second Tuesday
Community events & resources
Kuna Library STEM Day March 27
Egg Hunt for families impacted by disabilities
State parent grant program available
If you are a parent or guardian of an Idaho student(s) in grades kindergarten through 12, attending a public, private, or homeschooled, you can apply for the Empower Parents grant.
Eligible Families can:
Receive a credit for $1,000 per child up to $3,000 per family to be used in the Empowering Parents online marketplace.
Once the account is created and eligibility verified, monies are deposited into the awardee's account and are available to be spent over a 24 month period.
Eligible purchases include computers and technology, internet access, instructional materials, tutoring services, and educational services and therapies through approved vendors in the Empowering Parents online marketplace.