Transition reset at Owyhee Elementary with apologies to parents

On Tuesday, May 21, the Boise School District released a notice to the parents of students at Owyhee Elementary following the written and oral testimony from families concerned about the proposal to convert the school into an early childhood learning center.

In the notice, BSD clarifies that the manner in which the conversion was communicated was inconsistent with their commitments to parents and students in the community. As a result, the school district has moved to reset the process for the proposal.

The process will start with a vote from the Board of Trustees specifically concerning whether or not to convert Owyhee Elementary, this will take place at the board meeting scheduled for August 12, 2024.

Then, the school district will turn to the community for their input on the transition. Families within Owyhee, Hawthorne, Hillcrest, and Whitney will have the opportunity to present their feedback to the board and also make their opinions heard through a questionnaire.

After that, the school district will work to create a timeline that is responsive to the needs of families. One major concern the school district heard was that parents want to know the status of the school and where their child will be attending class in 2025-2026 if the transition is approved, as soon as possible. They hope to address these concerns following the board meeting in August.

The Boise School District ended the notice with an apology for the handling of the transition process.