May

As we approach the end of the school year, many of us are looking forward to a well-earned summer break. Summer provides an important opportunity for students and families to rest, recharge, and spend time together. At the same time, we know that long breaks from structured learning can sometimes lead to what is often called the “summer slide,” where students lose some of the academic progress they made during the school year.

The good news is that keeping students’ minds engaged over the summer does not require formal lessons or rigid schedules. In fact, some of the best learning happens through simple, everyday experiences.

Reading continues to be one of the most impactful ways to support learning. For younger students, this might look like reading together each night, visiting the library, or exploring books connected to their interests. For older students, it may be choosing a novel, reading about a hobby, or even following current events that interest them. Just as important is talking about what they are reading, asking questions, making connections, and sharing thoughts.

Beyond reading, students benefit from staying curious and engaged in a variety of ways. At the elementary level, this could include building with blocks or LEGO, helping cook a meal and following a recipe, drawing or creating, or exploring outside and asking questions about the world around them. For secondary students, this might look like working on a project, learning a new skill, spending time outdoors, volunteering, or even having a summer job. All of these experiences build problem-solving skills, responsibility, and independence.

Writing can also take many forms. Younger students might keep a simple journal, draw pictures with captions, or write about a family activity. Older students might track goals, reflect on experiences, or even just keep notes about things they are learning or interested in.

Everyday conversations play an important role at all ages. Talking as a family during meals, in the car, or while spending time together helps build communication skills and confidence. Encouraging children to ask questions and think through ideas keeps their minds active in meaningful ways.

Maintaining some level of routine can also be helpful. This does not mean recreating the school day, but rather finding a balance that includes time for activity, rest, and a bit of structured thinking or learning.

Most importantly, summer should still feel like summer. Time to play, explore, and enjoy being a kid is essential. When students return in the fall, those experiences, combined with small, consistent opportunities to read, think, and create, can make a meaningful difference in helping them pick up right where they left off.

Thank you for your continued support in helping our students grow, both during the school year and beyond.

It is that time of year.

We invite you to complete the Parent Survey by May 22. We appreciate your input and we use it to help make decisions that are best for students.

• We are celebrating Educator Appreciation during the first two weeks of May. I encourage everyone to send a note or express their appreciation for all of the great work our educators do for our children.
• Goodsell has butterfly chrysalises for students to observe the life cycle of a butterfly. Not to be outdone, Sunrise has some chicken eggs.
• Stuart held an assembly featuring Bikers Against Bullies, and they donated $250 to help the school.
• Shelley High School has been reviewing its graduating class to determine the valedictorian and salutatorian. It is fun to see the hard work these students have committed to their education.
• Data drill-downs and audits of our special education department continue to reinforce the great work our teachers do.
• Forty-five percent of our English Language Learning students showed significant growth on their language proficiency testing.
• We had a wonderful choir concert that included students from Stuart, Hobbs, and Shelley High School.
• We are looking forward to more than 14 students graduating from the Shelley Work-Based Academy.
• We have had several community members donate money to help offset some of the negative lunch balances in the district. We truly appreciate your generosity.

• The science lab addition is going out to bid, and we are excited to get that project underway.

• The Russet Way project bid has been awarded, and we hope to start work on that project at the beginning of summer so it can be completed before we return to school in August 2026.
• A sewer disruption at Shelley Work-Based Academy caused students to work online for a week while our maintenance team and a plumbing company worked to fix the issue. It turned into a major project, but it has been resolved, and things are flowing downhill again.
• There is some concern about water usage this summer. We will make every effort to maintain green grass on our school campuses while following any direction regarding water usage.

From time to time, we receive questions about how school districts are funded and how those dollars are distributed. It’s also a topic that continues to be discussed at the legislative level. While the formula may evolve in the future, I wanted to take a moment to explain how it currently works in a way that is hopefully clear and helpful.

The first thing to understand is that public schools in Idaho are funded based on attendance, not enrollment. Even though we are responsible for educating every student who is enrolled, the state only provides funding for students who are actually in attendance.

For example, if a 3rd grade class has 25 students enrolled but typically has one or two students absent each day, the district may only be funded for about 23–24 students on average. Even though our teachers are planning for and supporting all 25 students, funding is tied to those who are present.

Based on our Average Daily Attendance (ADA), the state calculates what are called “support units.” You can think of a support unit as the state’s way of determining the overall staffing and resources needed to educate students. These units help fund everything from teachers and paraprofessionals to office staff, custodial services, transportation, and technology.

For the 2026–2027 school year, we are projecting approximately 113–114 support units. These units fund the large majority of our budget—primarily salaries and benefits, which make up about 85–90% of our total expenditures—as well as the supplies and resources needed to operate our schools. In total, our district employs around 330 staff members supported through this funding structure.

Each year, we build our budget based on projected attendance and the number of support units we expect to receive. Because staffing makes up the largest portion of our budget, it’s important that we align the number of employees we hire with the funding we anticipate. If our projections are off, it can quickly impact our financial balance one way or the other. Like all districts, we do our best to plan carefully and adjust as needed.

Funding is distributed throughout the year. We receive an initial allocation in August and November based on projections, with adjustments made in February, May, and a final update in the summer based on actual attendance. As the year progresses, we monitor attendance closely and may make budget adjustments if needed.

Students in Idaho considering a career in education are encouraged to apply for federal funding to support their post-secondary journeys with the TEACH Grant from Federal Student Aid.

A Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education (TEACH) Grant is different for other federal student grants because it requires students to agree to complete a teaching service obligation as a condition to receive the grant. Up to $4,000 is available annually to students who agree to teach in high-need fields, including:

• Math
• Science
• Foreign languages
• Bilingual education
• English language education
• English language acquisition
• Reading specialist
• Special education
• Any other field that has been identified as high-need in the annual Teacher Shortage Area Nationwide Listing

Learn more about the grant, including service obligations, eligibility information, and more on the Federal Student Aid website at the button below:

Idaho parents with students ready to hit the road can now provide on-the-road instruction with the Parent-Student On-Road Supervised Driving Program. The program is open to students who live in rural school districts set forth by 33-319 Idaho Code. After completing on-road training, students must enroll in and complete one of three online training courses:

• Idaho Online Driver Education
• Nampa Driving Academy
• Pass Driver Ed

Parents can learn more about the program on the Idaho Department of Education's Driver Education webpage here or can download a step-by-step guide on how to get started at the button below:

We’re always on the lookout for caring individuals who can step in when a teacher is out of the classroom. The process is simple: just complete the Substitute Application, then come in for a meeting with the superintendent. After a state-required background check and board approval, you’ll be all set to go. Plus, we offer training materials that you’ll be paid to complete.

Your support can make a big impact, and we’d love to have you on board!

Child nutrition is looking for substitutes to help serve lunches and to help clean up after the students have eaten. If you can support the school by helping out, we would love to have you. Contact Charlotte Haderlie at 208-357-7435 ext. 5.

Please check your child's account balance periodically to ensure they are not accidentally falling behind. Please click on the link below and follow the directions to see what your child's balance is.

• 5/7/26 FFA Auction
• 5/10/26 Mother's Day
• 5/20/26 Public Board Meeting
• 5/21/26 SWA Graduation 2:00 at the Mountain America Center
• 5/21/26 Shelley High School Graduation 7:00 at the Mountain America Center
• 5/25/26 Memorial Day
• 5/28/26 Last Day of School-Half Day