...Strong thunderstorms will impact portions of Ada, south central
Boise, central Elmore, southeastern Canyon and northwestern Owyhee
Counties through 645 PM MDT...
At 614 PM MDT, Doppler radar was tracking strong thunderstorms along
a line extending from near Danskin Peak to 6 miles north of Oreana.
Movement was north at 20 mph.
HAZARD...Wind gusts up to 50 mph and penny size hail.
SOURCE...Radar indicated.
IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around
unsecured objects. Minor damage to outdoor objects is
possible.
Strong thunderstorms will be near...
Danskin Peak around 620 PM MDT.
Boise Stage Stop around 630 PM MDT.
Southeastern Boise, Swan Falls, Prairie and Murphy around 640 PM
MDT.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building.
Torrential rainfall is also occurring with these storms and may lead
to localized flooding. Do not drive your vehicle through flooded
roadways.
&&
MAX HAIL SIZE...0.75 IN;
MAX WIND GUST...50 MPH
On March 14, voters in the Nampa School District will have an opportunity to approve a $210.2 million bond for school facilities. It sounds like a lot of money, and it is. But so is the need.
For those who don’t visit our buildings regularly, that need may not be obvious. Unlike many of our neighboring districts, Nampa’s student population isn’t growing, at least not alarmingly. We still have plenty of room in our classrooms and some schools are even under-utilized. But our need for improved student opportunities is growing — exponentially.
The district has spent the last several years completing a thorough audit of our facilities — everything from the number and functionality of individual classrooms to the condition of our infrastructure, sidewalks, parking lots and common areas. Our findings have been shared numerous times with our board of directors and the public
It’s no secret that many of our facilities are showing their age. Central Elementary was built in 1929; Nampa High in 1955, and Centennial Elementary in 1975. Despite multiple capital improvements over the years (think repairs to plumbing, heating, HVAC and roofs), these and other buildings across the district are in need of millions of dollars in repairs or renovations.
Smaller classrooms, spotty wireless connections, poor or nonexistent insulation … these are just a few of the shortcomings we deal with daily in many of our older buildings. Students deserve better.
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And that doesn’t even touch on the need to provide fair and equitable educational opportunities to all of our students, regardless of where they live within district boundaries. Many labs, gyms, playing fields, auditoriums and classrooms are disproportionate in what they can offer students.
Some have pointed out that our legislators are looking at new ways to fund school facility needs. We applaud their efforts and hope for workable solutions in the near future. However, the inadequacies facing our kids are realities now, and we need to find ways to address them while new funding sources are discussed.
Waiting will lead to continued disparities between schools, higher repair or replacement costs and lost opportunities for expanded preschool, career and technical education, special education, arts, athletics and general education.
We hope you will take time to learn more about what this bond will fund and how it will affect students throughout Nampa. Learn more at https://Nampa.School/2023Bond.
Dr. Gregg Russell is interim superintendent for the Nampa School District, a district of choice offering a variety of open-enrollment options including schools focused on dual-language, STEM, arts, mastery-based, and project-based learning. The district also provides a fully online school and a robust career-technical education program. Learn more at www.nsd131.org.
