Board report: School canceled Nov. 5 Election Day; 2025-26 Superintendent info

The Kuna school board met on Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2024.

📺 Watch the full meeting

📖 Read the agenda 

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

➡️ School canceled for Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 5  

➡️ Superintendent Bekkedahl to lead district in 2025-26 

➡️ Annual audit shows no issues in district’s financials for 2023-24

➡️ District moves forward with new land lab for agriculture program

➡️ 10-year facilities plan details more than $400 million in projects 

➡️ Board accepts recommendation to keep book in high school library's restricted section

➡️ Other reports and actions:

➡️ Next meeting Nov. 12

Trustees voted to cancel school on Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 5. The decision was based on safety as some of our schools are polling places, and with the Presidential Election taking place, larger than usual numbers of voters are expected. West Ada and Boise also canceled school on Election Day.

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Dan Coleman, Quest CPAs, reviewed highlights from the annual audit of the prior school year financials, noting that “everything was good.” He said the state is asking auditors to review all school district's staffing and attendance reporting and no anomalies were found in Kuna’s processes.

 

📺 Review the financial statements

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Assistant Superintendent Brian Graves reviewed the district’s 10-year facility plan developed with LKV Architects for submission to the State Department of Education. The plan details more than $440 million in critical maintenance needs and new construction in the coming decade. KSD expects to receive more than $20 million from the state to help with these costs. 

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➡️ Review the presentation

A new premium meal option will be added for high school students. The cost of these meals is $5 full price. Reduced-price and free premium meals are available for those who qualify.

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➡️ Review the presentation

Curriculum Instruction and Assessment Director Kevin Gifford shared the recommendation from a committee’s review of a complaint requesting the book The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison be removed from the Kuna High School library. The book is currently in a restricted section of the library, which requires parent permission for students to access the material. After information was shared by the complainant and the committee, trustees accepted the committee’s unanimous recommendation to keep the book in the restricted section.  

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➡️ Review the complaint and recommendation

Superintendent Kim Bekkedahl reported on:

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Assistant Superintendent Jason Reddy, Trustees Kyrsti Bruce, and Michael Thornton shared that the community levy committee met earlier in the month and continues to share information.

Idaho Disclosure: 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.

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The district received a grant to install vape sensors in the high schools. The devices are expected to be installed over spring break.

In November, school board members from across Idaho will meet and consider and vote on resolutions for the Idaho School Board Association (ISBA) to advocate for with the Legislature and state decision makers. Trustees discussed the proposals, which include a wide range of topics such as safety, funding, local control etc. Chair Kim Nixon will cast votes on behalf of the board at the November convention. 

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➡️ Review the ISBA Proposed Resolutions

The board approved

The board approved 570 - Athletic Fees

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.