On November 7, voters in Nampa overwhelmingly decided to carve out a single square mile from one school district and add it to another.
Only people living in the square mile could vote to leave the Nampa school district and join the Vallivue district. Over 220 students and their families live in several subdivisions located in the small patch of land.
The annexation campaign was started by a parent who said leaving the Nampa district would reduce school commutes. According to the Idaho Press Tribune, the nearest middle school to the housing tracts in the old district was about seven miles away, on the opposite side of Nampa. Now, the distance to a Vallivue middle school is half that.
The change will impact parents and educators. The Vallivue district will have to hire more teachers for the 2018 school year and make room for additional students. Meanwhile, the Nampa district could lose some state funding, which could prompt layoffs. Families living in the square mile will now pay the Vallivue tax levy rate. Annual property taxes in the square could go up by about $90 per $100,000.
Parents will have the option to still send their kids to Nampa district schools, but because cuts could be coming, there’s no guarantee all those who want to can attend.
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