NAMPA, Idaho — Voters in Nampa will head to the polls next month to make a $210.2 million decision - that decides the future of two Nampa schools.
A $210.2 million Nampa School District bond aims to modernize campuses across the city to improve student opportunities.
"We have spent some time over the last four or five years really looking at the condition of our facilities, and there was a lot of work put into a facilities master plan," Waylon Yarbrough, deputy superintendent of the Nampa School District said. "The idea came up that we need to do some things to increase the educational opportunities for some of our kids, given our facilities."
If voters approve the bond, funds will be used for the following projects:
- Nampa High School Replacement: $100 million
- New Career & Technical Center: $30 million
- Skyview High School: $26 million
- New theatre
- Renovation of existing theatre into band room
- Capital renewals
- Centennial Elementary Replacement: $25.5 million
- District Level Athletic Upgrades: $11.2 million
- Stadiums (Bleacher replacements, field upgrades, Bulldog Bowl renovations)
- Gymnasiums (Bleacher replacement, weight rooms, sound systems)
- Resurface MS/HS tracks
- Replace tennis courts at CHS
- Columbia High School: $6.7 million
- New auxiliary gym
- Capital renewal
- West Middle School: $4.6 million
- Renovations
- Capital renewal
- Central Elementary School: $3.3 million
- Safety & Security: $1.8 million
- Demolition Projects: $1.1 million
"It was very data driven, in a very research-based model that we looked at to find out our needs for the school, the educational adequacy, looking at the opportunities that we have in in the classroom for each student," Cortney Stauffer, director of operations for the Nampa School District said. "Coupling that with does that classroom have the right resources not only now, but for 10 to 15 to 20 years down the road to meet the needs of our kids."
This is Nampa School District's first bond since 2007.
District leaders say being able to upgrade the facilities in the schools would help give students across the district equal educational opportunities.
"One of the things that we want to do is make sure that if it's in the classroom, or in extracurricular facilities and extracurricular activities, that we give our kids a state of the art, cutting-edge opportunity so that they can come into the 21st century with the skills that they need," Yarbrough said. "Some of our buildings right now structurally pose some challenges for our teachers to be able to offer those opportunities when it gets down to number of kids in a small classroom - student safety being a big scenario for us as well."
If the bond is passed, Nampa High School could move to a 60-acre spot off Midway and Roosevelt that the school distract has already purchased. Nampa High's current footprint is 38 acres. The new Centennial Elementary building would be at the same location as the old school.
The decision on whether or not to move Nampa High School is up to the school board. The district is recommending the move take place.
District leaders say the school upgrades would also boost pride and school culture for students.
"That's a really, really big thing that's going to that's going to impact our student body, and impact our entire community from just a pride point," Yarbrough said. "We hope that it will bring in additional business. When you're looking at people who want to move in they look at facilities, they look at what schools are, and they determine what to do for their family based off that. And we think that that will be a huge boost. It will also help all of our schools level that playing field so that the educational opportunities or access to those opportunities is consistent across the board."
The average age of buildings in the Nampa School District is 42 years old.
"That tells you some of our schools are really, really old," Yarbough said. "So what we're trying to do is make sure that we put that information out to our community, and be transparent with them of what our needs are. And we would love to get some feedback from the community with their votes."
The community will be able to decide whether or not to approve the bond on March 14 - the first of four Idaho election days this year.
The bond requires a 2/3 majority to be approved.
The bond would be paid for by a property tax in Nampa. It would add an approximate $25 increase per $100,000 of net taxable property value. Nampa School District has a tax rate calculator for this bond.
The district's Facilities Master Plan can be viewed here.
KTVB has a voter guide with more information on the school district bonds and levies up for a vote on March 14.
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