School Community

MISSION STATEMENT: The mission of West Ada School District is to prepare today’s students for tomorrow’s challenges.

2025-26 School Year Theme: 75 Years of Learning, Growing and Leading.

Dear West Ada Families,

Here’s something you should know about West Ada: this is the time of year when student achievement accelerates. Students are in the rhythm of learning, expectations are clear, and confidence is growing. When momentum builds, growth follows—and our teachers are driving that progress every single day. It’s powerful to watch.

Here’s another fact worth celebrating: West Ada will be debt-free in less than eight years. That means we will fully own 5.1 million square feet of learning space across 1,420 acres. That doesn’t happen by accident. It happens because of disciplined financial stewardship and a community that believes in strong public schools. Lawmakers have taken notice.

This week, I testified before the House Education Committee in support of HB 636. The bill gives districts like West Ada greater flexibility to use School District Facilities Funds for lease-purchase agreements after existing bonds and levies are paid down. In plain terms, it creates a pathway for fiscally responsible districts to build and maintain schools without automatically placing additional debt on property taxpayers. The House has approved the bill, and it now moves to the Senate.

If you want proof that excellence extends beyond the classroom, look at Mountain View High School Dance and Owyhee High School Girls Basketball. Both were named Winter Academic State Champions by the Idaho High School Activities Association, earning the highest team GPAs in their classifications—3.911 and 3.871 respectively. This is what occurs when you mix high expectations with disciplined students.

West Ada is delivering—academically, financially, and competitively—and we are not slowing down. Thank you for your continued trust, partnership, and belief in what we are building together for West Ada students.

With gratitude,
Dr. Derek Bub
Superintendent
West Ada School District

The West Ada School District is adjusting attendance boundaries for the upcoming school year to balance enrollment and support continued student growth across schools. The West Ada Board approved these changes to Trustees at the February 9th meeting. Families can review the updated attendance zones on the 🔗district website.

Students entering 5th, 8th, 10th, 11th, or 12th grade (not currently on an in- or out-of-district transfer) will be eligible to be grandfathered into their current school for the 2026-2027 school year. Please note that, in accordance with district policy, students who choose to remain at their current school under the grandfathering option will not be eligible for district-provided transportation.

An "Intent to Continue – Grandfathered Form" will need to be completed by Tuesday, February 24th to notify the current school if your student will continue to attend for the 2026-2027 school year. Failure to complete the form indicates that your student’s records will be transferred to the newly assigned school for the 2026-2027 school year. To access this form, go to School Forms through your The PowerSchool Parent account.

Families with students in grades not eligible for grandfathering may use the district’s 🔗open enrollment process.

If you have questions, please contact the West Ada School District School Information Support (SIS) team at (208) 350-5200.

There’s still time to help eliminate student lunch debt in West Ada. Every dollar raised goes directly toward student meals. Consider donating today to support your school’s efforts. Check the 🔗Hoops 4 Hunger Leaderboard to see how your school is doing in the competition

Tonight is Hoops 4 Hunger Night at Wahooz
Wahooz is offering special Hoops4Hunger event pricing, and $5 from every special purchased will be donated back to the campaign. Use 🔗this link to purchase tickets and give back!

Thank you for helping ensure every West Ada student has access to meals—we couldn’t do this without you!

The Big Sky Conference is excited to offer discounted tickets to the 2026 Big Sky Men’s and Women’s Basketball Tournament, with a portion of the proceeds going to the Hoops 4 Hunger campaign!

Act now and buy General Admission tickets for just $18, with $3 going to Hoops 4 Hunger!

The tournament features nine men’s games and nine women’s games played on March 7-11, with each champion going on to play in the NCAA Basketball Tournament later in March. Universities participating include: Eastern Washington, Idaho, Idaho State, Montana, Montana State, Northern Arizona, Northern Colorado, Portland State, Sacramento State, and Weber State.

Follow 🔗this link for discounted tickets.

We’re on a quest to find the best school breakfast, and we want you to be part of it! Join us in your school cafeterias the week of March 2–6 to sample new, homemade breakfast recipes.

From fun favorites like green eggs and ham to strawberry overnight oats and freshly baked maple French toast, these delicious breakfasts are sure to be a hit with students and the community alike.

This renovation project will cost approximately $23 million. Building a brand-new middle school would have cost nearly $70 million.

Thanks to the community’s support of the West Ada School District plant facilities levy (2017), West Ada is able to make fiscally responsible investments while preparing Lake Hazel Middle School for the next 50 years of learning.

The project is scheduled for completion in 2026.

It hasn’t been without challenges. Kimberly Schafer, who has taught at Lake Hazel Middle School for 23 of its 46 years, says the process hasn’t always been easy — but staff and students see the value of this long-term investment in public education.

The West Ada College & Career Fair is designed to help students make informed decisions about their post-secondary paths, connecting them directly with representatives from colleges, universities, and local businesses. Starting in freshman year, students are encouraged to attend college and career fairs to explore options, network, and gain confidence in their future career and education choices.

At this event, students will have the unique opportunity to meet with a range of postsecondary institutions and organizations in person. Open exclusively to West Ada School District students, the fair offers incentives to encourage participation.

Event Highlights for Participating Organizations:

• Meet directly with student candidates exploring post-secondary and career options
• Showcase your programs and career opportunities
• Recruit talent quickly and efficiently
• Target and connect with West Ada students aligned with specific career pathways

Event Schedule:

• Setup for organizations begins at 8:00 a.m.
• Students admitted starting at 9:00 a.m.
• Event ends at 1:00 p.m.

Student/Family Transportation:
West Ada School District will provide shuttle buses for the College & Career Fair at the high schools listed below.

Pick up and drop off will be at the flagpole by the front entrance of each school. The first bus will depart from the school site to Mountain View High School starting at 9:00 AM and will continue to depart every hour on the hour.

Each school will have a bus running back and forth on an hourly loop. EHS will have two buses making the loop, as one alone cannot complete the route within an hour. Students and families are invited to use the shuttle buses for the event!

• Centennial High School
• Eagle High School
• Meridian High School
• Owyhee High School
• Renaissance High School
• Rocky Mountain High School

How to Register:

• Students - No registration required! All students are welcome to attend the fair between 9:00AM-1:00PM.
• Vendors - To participate in the West Ada College & Career Fair, please complete the registration form linked below. Registration is required for all attending organizations. Registration ends on February 27, 2026.
• 🔗REGISTER HERE

For questions or additional information, please contact Tammy Schneider at schneider.tammy@westada.org.

If you missed the Annual College & Career Fair in the past, checked out last year's recap, 🔗linked here!

We can’t thank our community partners and West Ada’s College Career Counselors enough for creating such an incredible experience for our students and families. Seeing so many diverse career and educational pathways all in one place was truly inspiring!

In this episode of the West Ada Podcast, Kylee Bendorf, West Ada’s Administrator of Counseling and Student Services, and Sara Jo Buffington, school counselor at Frontier and McMillan Elementary Schools, share insight into how schools support students during moments of crisis—and, just as importantly, how they work to prevent those moments from happening.

This episode includes a frank discussion of suicide and self-harm. Parents and caregivers may wish to review the content before listening with younger children.

Listeners will learn how school counselors recognize early warning signs of self-harm, assess student mental health risk while treating every concern with care, and provide real-time crisis support when students are experiencing acute distress. The conversation also explores how counselors collaborate with teachers, administrators, and families, and how proactive supports and a positive school climate can help prevent students from reaching a crisis point.

The episode highlights the work of the Self-Harm Committee, the impact of early intervention, and the role of peer-to-peer support programs like Sources of Strength. Kylee and Sara Jo discuss why it’s critical to talk openly about self-harm and suicide prevention, why adults must be willing to have uncomfortable conversations with kids, and what gives them hope when they spend time with today’s students.

Student Pulse Segment: Two outstanding Eagle High School students join the podcast to share what’s happening around Eagle High School and offer insight into how students learn best. This segment begins at 32:35.

🔗 Helpful resources mentioned in the episode:

• West Ada Crisis Supports and Resources: https://www.westada.org/page/parent-student-crisis-information
• Student Mental Health Matters: West Ada’s Approach to Support & Safety: https://youtu.be/JuxV53mhtsI
• West Ada Tech Help: https://westada.atlassian.net/servicedesk/customer/portal/19

Above all, this episode reinforces a simple but powerful message for students and families: you are not alone, and reaching out for support can change everything.

Want to stay current on everything going on in West Ada and our fantastic communities? Visit our Community Bulletin board for information about clubs, camps, clinics, and more!

🗓️WASD Community Bulletin Board 🖱️

If you run into technology issues, the West Ada Service Desk is here to help! Parents and students have two easy ways to get support:

• Online Support Request: CLICK HERE

  to visit the Parent/Student portal and report your issue.

• Call the Service Desk: Reach our team by phone at 208-350-5300, Monday–Friday, 7:15 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Requesting support online is the fastest way to connect with the right technician, but either option will get you the help you need.

This West Ada School District news update is brought to you by the District's communication team. For access to previous updates, please visit: https://www.westada.org/page/west-ada-weekly-newsletter