School board finalizes sports fees for 2024-25 & more news from school board meeting

The Kuna school board met on Tuesday, Sept 10, 2024

📺 Watch the full meeting

📖 Read the agenda

Here are the highlights with more details in the meeting recap below:

➡️ Report: Investment in full-time kindergarten makes a difference

➡️ Kuna Middle School math success celebrated

➡️ Board keeps athletic fees at current levels

➡️ Other reports and actions:

➡️ Next meeting Oct. 8

Director of Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment Kevin Gifford provided an overview of the district’s change from offering the state minimum half-day kindergarten instruction to the local decision to offer full-time kindergarten instruction. Director Gifford said the shift to full-time kindergarten six years ago has resulted in a 25% increase in the number of proficient kindergarten students on state reading tests.  

 

Director Gifford shared that a national group will showcase KMS's success in improving math proficiency as well as growth among its learners. Superintendent Kim Bekkedahl said the team at the school has been working very hard on math. 

Following up on the August meeting decision to increase athletic fees by 5%, trustees listened to patron comments about possible additional fees and increases and discussed the cost of athletic programs to the district and families. Trustees approved a motion to maintain the fees approved in August for the remainder of the school year. 

Trustees approved changes to the current year budget to:

Assistant Superintendent Brian Graves shared that the district’s retention rate of certified staff (teachers, administrators) was at about 14%. About 36% of the certified staff leaving reported they went to another school district in the state. 

Assistant Superintendent Graves shared that work continues on the required facility assessment to access new funds for building repairs. The Board will review the assessment at its October meeting. Costs to repair fire alarm systems at Kuna High School and Hubbard Elementary, Ross Elementary, and Indian Creek Elementary schools are estimated to be about $1 million. Costs to repair heating and air conditioning systems at Kuna High, Ross, and Indian Creek are estimated to be much higher about $7 million.

📺 Watch the report on the critical maintenance plan 

Assistant Superintendent Graves reported that the district using the authority provided by the board in August, the district was able to buy four used buses to replace aging buses. 

 

📺 Watch the report on buses

Assistant Superintendent Jason Reddy and Trustees Bruce and Thornton reported the a community committee focused on sharing information about the supplemental levy met this month and will meet again on Tuesday, Sept. 17.  

The estimated average annual cost to the taxpayer on the proposed levy is a tax of $65.48 per $100,000 of taxable assessed value, per year, based on current conditions.

Trustees discussed updates to its Superintendent Evaluation Policy.

Adopted the following policies:

Amended the following policies:

Removed the following policies:

The Kuna School District is governed by an elected board of trustees, with each trustee representing a specific geographic area of the district, known as a Zone.

Each year, the trustees elect a chairman and vice chairman to lead the board.

In addition to board meetings, trustees may also serve on district committees.

Below is information about each trustee and link to a message for the month, if they choose to write one.

Don't know who’s your elected trustee? Look up which trustee serves your address here.