Idaho’s largest school district is changing its name. The Meridian school board voted Tuesday night to adopt the name West Ada School District, according to the Meridian Press.
Meridian has 10,000 more students than Boise, the state’s second largest. The problem from the school board’s perspective - in regards to a name - is that only about half of the district’s 36,000 students live in Meridian. The rest live in Eagle, Star, Garden City, even Boise and Kuna.
District spokesman Eric Exline told the Meridian Press that using the Meridian name sends the message to some that they are not part of the district. It’s important, he says, for all the district’s voters to feel like they’re part of the big picture as the fast growing area turns to voters for money for new schools.
The change will take about a year. Exline says costs associated with the new name will be minimal.
The vote, though, does not change the official name of the district. The “Meridian School District” is the unofficial, common name and the “West Ada District” will be as well. To the state of Idaho the district will continue to be known as Joint School District No. 2.
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