• Tweet
• Share
• Email
• Print

It was one week ago today that voters passed the four point three million dollar levy. Now parents are screaming mad that that money still doesn't plug the hole in the budget. Parents at the school board meeting last night were incredulous. While there were some parents supporting the district, the majority of the people in the room were angry at the district. The district also announced that the budget shortfall is even larger than expected, and is now estimated at 5.1 million dollars. That’s $800,000 more than initially reported.
Parents say they feel like the district misled them. The Nampa School Board of Trustees decided to close Sunny Ridge Elementary school, end busing service at New Horizons and keep New Horizons a K - 5 school, and not add middle school on the recommendation of the school district. The news was a big surprise to parents who thought the levy took care of problems like this. Now, they say it feels like the district deceived them.
“I have never ever voted against a school levy, but knowing what I know now, this would have been my first time,” said one parent.
“I believed our support for the levy would ease the need for dramatic cuts, in services, especially school closures. But, announcing on Friday that you will make a recommendation on Monday breads distrust,” said Clint Child.

Some parents pointed out that Sunny Ridge is not up to current school safety standards in light of recent school shootings and say they support the district’s direction.

“I think we need to show our new superintendent that we do support him because if we don't support him, what's going to keep him here? And we'll be in the same situation in a year or two,” said a parent.