Star Elementary is kicking off the school year with a record number of students and swift action from the West Ada School District to address overcrowding.
Enrollment at the school has surpassed 870 students, prompting district leaders to bring the issue to the West Ada School District’s board earlier this week. Chief Operating Officer David Reinhart shared the urgency of the situation.
Watch to learn more about Star Elementary's expansion plans:
“We decided to move fast on providing two additional classrooms at Star,” Reinhart said.
The decision came during Monday night’s school board meeting, where the emergency provision passed with a 4-0 vote.
For Star Elementary School's fifth-grade teacher, Carmi Scheller, the move came as a welcome relief.
“So, to have this action happen this quickly is remarkable and will make a difference in the year that those students and teachers will have,” Scheller said.
While the portable classrooms will be ready for students by August 18, the following Monday after school begins, the district is also looking toward long-term solutions. That includes the construction of Independence Elementary, set to open in 2026; the same year that America will be celebrating its 250th birthday.
“It is a nation that unites us, and we are going to celebrate that, that birthday together,” Reinhart said.
The promise of a new school is already giving educators and families hope.
“Knowing that the school is being built is very, very helpful in the mindset of, OK, this is, this is temporary. Relief is coming,” Scheller said.
Once Independence Elementary opens, Reinhart says the district will be able to spread students more evenly among schools.
“Next year, we can balance out enrollments, and students can learn in environments that aren’t crowded. Students can learn in environments that are more fitting of what an elementary school should be."
