Cost of growth: West Ada asks voters for $500M to handle school overcrowding, repairs
The West Ada School District, the state’s largest, is asking voters to pass the largest levy in Idaho history in Tuesday’s Ada County election.
School leaders say unprecedented growth has led to the unprecedented request.
“Right now we’re busing kids from Star all the way over to Eagle every single day,” West Ada Superintendent Derek Bub told the Idaho Statesman in a phone interview. “It’s become a challenge for those families.”
If the ballot item gets at least 55% approval, the district would receive up to $50 million annually for the next 10 years for construction of new schools and renovation of existing ones.
West Ada has 58 schools with approximately 40,000 students enrolled in grades K-12, according to the district’s website. Every school in the district would receive some level of safety, maintenance, technology and mechanical upgrades if the levy passes.
The largest projects would be two new elementary schools, a new career and technical education center, playground upgrades for increased safety and accessibility, and significant remodeling of Centennial High School, Lake Hazel Middle School and Lowell Scott Middle School, according to the district.
Unlike school bonds, plant facilities levies such as this cannot legally be used for anything other than construction, repairs and maintenance.
Bub called the levy “fiscally conservative” because it would save taxpayers about $255 million in interest.
“We don’t have to pay interest on this,” Bub said. “It really is pay-as-you-go, which allows us to meet the needs of our city in the most fiscally responsible and tax-aware fashion that we can.”
The levy would add $89.45 per year for every $100,00 taxable assessed value, according to the resolution passed unanimously by the school board in February, meaning a resident with a home worth $500,000 would pay an additional $447 per year in taxes.
The school district said it is committed to not putting another bond or levy on the ballot for the next 10 years. Because the district will be paying off a 2018 bond this year, Bub said taxes under the proposed levy would be lower than than they have been in recent years.
Population growth in Meridian and the western part of Boise is the biggest driver behind the district’s needs, according to Bub. Census Bureau numbers show that Ada County has grown by 27% over the past 20 years, going from about 409,000 people in 2012 to 518,000 in 2022.
The new elementary schools would cost $35 million each and have a 700-student capacity apiece. They would ease overcrowding at Star Elementary and Eagle Elementary in the north, and Hillsdale Elementary and Mary McPherson Elementary in the south, all of which are at full capacity.
Rising enrollment numbers have meant that many students aren’t able to enter the postsecondary education programs in which they’re interested, according to the district.
“We have kids that are on waiting lists for some of our programs,” Bub said. “It’s really important that we provide them with the opportunity to engage in career programs, which include welding, pharmaceutical, construction, HVAC, plumbing.”
Information on how to vote in Tuesday’s election can be found on the Ada County website at adacounty.id.gov/elections.
