Bonneville District #93 Vote (Ammon, Star, Iona: appointed, 2013, day care)

[Mtn. States Resident]

I hope all D # 93 parents are aware of a meeting tomorrow night. It's primarily those who voted against the bond or didn't vote. They want the School board members and Dr. Sackett to come to their meeting in Ucon tomorrow night so they can tell D #93 what they would or won't vote yes to bond.

Should be, a ...............meeting. it's probably best I not use an adjactive. But I hope some Yes-voting parents show up to confront inaccurate statements.

[Mtn. States Resident]

D #93 is reminding people of another school option they have. I can see a lot of plusses with this, if you have enough computers or pads in your home.

Bonneville Online Schools seek to increase enrollment | News - Home

Read that csrefully. Teachers are employed by the district to work with kids who learn at home, it is a state approved curriculum so one or two parents aren't teaching and the kids have socialization with other kids in school on Thursdays. Plus, I think they said monthly field trips too, but I might be wrong.

If this might work for you check this out and get in touch with the district ASAP.

[UGAClem]

My daughter just graduated the online school this past year. We chose that direction mainly because of the way she was treated and outcasted by her class mates the first year in Hill Crest after moving here from Georgia. But that's beside the point and another story.
I would highly suggest that your child be intelligent and self-motivated. As we all like to think our kids are super smart let’s be honest, not all will be able to do the online without having to be monitored on an hourly basis to ensure they are moving.. My daughter did great and graduated a year early. So it worked great for her circumstances and she is now moving back to Georgia (or as she calls it "the real world") for her college studies to be a Nurse Anesthetist. Hope this helps..

[banjomike]

If they don't pass a new high school bond pretty fast, the flood from the elementaries will make the present ones look like lots full of disaster relief trailers. Hillcrest was overloaded by the time the front doors opened for the first time.

[Mtn. States Resident]

Originally Posted by UGAClem

My daughter just graduated the online school this past year. We chose that direction mainly because of the way she was treated and outcasted by her class mates the first year in Hill Crest after moving here from Georgia. But that's beside the point and another story.
I would highly suggest that your child be intelligent and self-motivated. As we all like to think our kids are super smart let’s be honest, not all will be able to do the online without having to be monitored on an hourly basis to ensure they are moving.. My daughter did great and graduated a year early. So it worked great for her circumstances and she is now moving back to Georgia (or as she calls it "the real world") for her college studies to be a Nurse Anesthetist. Hope this helps..

Nice to see you post again, UGAClem. Your personal experience with the online model is invaluable to others. Thanks for posting it.

I hope your daughter is able to reach her goal of becoming a CRNA. The large majority of CRNAs in eastern ID are locals who obtained their RNs, BSNS and then CRNA degrees and licenses. I hope your daughter has met a few, both because many had M.D. parents who encouraged their children to get Mid-Level degrees and because they trained at multiple locations throughout the U.S. At least your daughter will be in SEC country during college football However, she may not be at an SEC school.

I hope you'll post more. I find your comments to be very helpful and interesting. Besides, while my mother is no longer in GA, I have a cousin who is. My relatives in LA finished training and should finally moved to a location they hadn't anticipated. I'd like to discuss their experience with you a bit further.

My guess is your daughter, with time, will miss some things about ID. My relatives learned to appreciate some parts of LA. Education certainly goes beyond books, if people are wise enough to learn from life experiences.

MSR

[Mtn. States Resident]

The so called Solutions group, who refused to release their data or attend official D#93 meetings met and invited the District tonthevmeeting. They wanted to tell the district what they would support.

Here's a link: D93 Solutions Committee presents bond alternative | News - Home


What do you think?

MSR

[banjomike]

Well, if a bond for another high school can't be passed, 93 might as well try passing a middle school bond. Anything is better than spending money on a trailer camp out behind in the schoolyard.

[Mtn. States Resident]

Originally Posted by banjomike

Well, if a bond for another high school can't be passed, 93 might as well try passing a middle school bond. Anything is better than spending money on a trailer camp out behind in the schoolyard.

I partially agree. Yes, more permanent buildings are needed. However, most will be out of Jr. High by the time a new Middle school is built.

At that time, I believe two high schools and two-three middle schools will be needed. The six elementary schools built in 10 years will be adding students from six schools to the Middle Schools that D #93 has never had before.

But, I agree, if it takes this to get the retirees on board, get them use to working with a fast growing school didtrict. I'd put mine in D#91. However, I've always preferred D #91.

[Mtn. States Resident]

The Saga continuues...... The Board met with the opposition group, who could not produce numbers. I should be clear and state two things: The opposition group asked for the meeting as they wanted to show the new school board (there are some new members) of why they WANTED a bond for a New Jr. High this fall. Secondly, there have been about three or four Letters to the Editor in the PR from residents who had children attend split sessions prior either to Skyline or Hillcrest High Schools being constructed. The few parents stated how "everyone they've talked to liked split sessions." The last letter wisely asked to hear from parents of high school students now, as these parents would have been in the split sessions years ago.

I'm not sure if all of these former split session students who are parents of the students who will be attending split sessions now are shy and don't want their names in the media, or they attend private meetings or maybe, just maybe, they don't agree. Whatever the reasons, NONE have responded. Being a parent of one or more child/children in a high school in 2015, most realize the economy is different than when they were teens. Technology is also different too. Consequently, in more two parent homes with both parents having to work and not having the flexibility of making sure all children in the home make it to school on time, throughout the day; more single parent households with the same challenges as two parent homes, plus more, as usually there are court orders stipulating certain things, if there has been a divorce; or other reasons parents of current high school students don't agree seeing how rapidly the district is growing etc. Whatever the parents reason(s), no one is coming forward to agree split sessions were popular and they want their children to attend split sessions because they were better for families.

Also, some criticize the sports, but I was blown away how many area teens received sports scholarships (mostly out-of state) so the students could pay less for a college education. Sports added up to millions this past year when the dozens of teens in this area got at least 50% or more of their college paid for by scholarships and money those teens won't have to pay off in student loans. Ore. colleges and Universities in particular probably awarded 20 scholarships. Those dollars matter to families who have student athletes.

Today's parents didn't have the internet, social media and a larger population living in Bonneville County when they were kids. They also didn't get scholarships for golf, volleyball, hockey and other sports as those sports weren't in the schools locally earlier to the leven of competition college scuts checkled out easter Idaho quite thoroughly.

As for growth, the population estimates for July 2015 that I could find show Bonneville County having >110,000 residents with > 60,000 in Idaho Falls, Ammon just slightly less than 15K, Iona ~ 2,000 and Ucon ~ 1,500. Rounding to keep the math simple, 60+ 15+ 2 + 1.5 ~ = 78,500 residents. That means the 200 - 400 residents in Swan Valley, Irwin and any where else would increase that rounded number to 79,000 residents. With Bonneville County's population: 110,000 - 79,000 = 31,000 living in Unincorporated 8B. Some of those students will be in Idaho Falls D #91, Shelley and maybe some areas of Jefferson or West Jefferson Counties. All the students in any city or town outside of Idaho Falls are assigned to D #93, except the examples I've written.

Perhaps some parents have driven around and seen the new houses being built in Ammon, Ucon, and Iona this past summer, let alone unincorporated 8B. It's difficult to see how the population is going to do anything but increase with the new houses.

Consequently, D #93 did something they should have done before, IMO. They shared the numbers of projected new schools needed to be built between now and 2030. I believe the estimate of total dollars were based on 2015. In reality costs will be more with the future costs of building.

Check the link to see how many new schools and for what age groups D #93 anticipates needing to be built by 2030. Builders should be busy.

The D#93 board only has 10 days to put anything on the Nov. Ballot. Any thoughts of what will happen?

District 93 trustees recommend building a new high school | News - Home

[IFGuy]

I'm with you here. I've been noticing a recent "boom" if you would in new home construction outside of Idaho Falls. Definitely not pre recession, but very noticeable.

I've also noticed an uptick in new subdivision starts and now I'm seeing land opening up for development that I figured was a decade away from any sort of construction.

I guess what bugs me the most is how most residents in the greater IF area complain about the lack of pre planning, so its nice to see a local entity trying to get ahead. The truth of the matter is the more growth, the less each household will have to pay and the bond gets paid for earlier, but the most important piece is that local children have a better learning environment and they are crammed into worn out school buildings and are unable to get the education they deserve.

The distinction between Ammon, Iona, and Idaho Falls will soon only be seen by signs not acres of farmland so I hope an agreement can be reached soon before its too late.