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,

March is an exciting time across West Ada as our schools are filled with opportunities for students to learn, lead, and compete. Research consistently shows that students involved in extracurricular activities build stronger connections, develop meaningful support systems, and perform better academically—and we see that impact every day in our schools.

From Read Across America Week to National School Breakfast Week, students have been learning and celebrating in fun ways. I had the opportunity to visit some of our incredible kindergarten students at Desert Sage Elementary this week, to read some of their favorite books with them. It is always fun to see firsthand their excitement for reading. Also, in honor of Dr. Seuss Day, our outstanding school nutrition staff served green eggs and ham—and it helped drive one of the highest breakfast participation days we’ve had all year. As a reminder, free and reduced breakfast and lunch applications are always open and available on our website.

Speaking of school nutrition, thank you to everyone who rallied behind Hoops 4 Hunger to help pay off school lunch debts and ensure no West Ada student goes hungry. Join us Thursday, March 12, from 6–8 PM at Rocky Mountain High School for the "Final Fourk Showdown", staff and student basketball games from our top fundraising schools.

Beyond the classroom this week, West Ada hosted its biggest and best College and Career Fair yet, connecting students with future learning opportunities and career pathways with over a hundred different booths. Also, our high school athletes are bringing home hardware from state tournaments. Congratulations to Meridian Wrestling for its dominant record-setting team championship and to Eagle High School for capturing state titles in both girls wrestling and dance.

Thank you to everyone who completed the Experience Survey in November. Your feedback helps shape how we continue to improve our schools. In response, every principal and district department leader has established experience goals focused on strengthening communication, culture, and engagement. These goals work alongside our academic goals to ensure we are not only improving student outcomes, but also strengthening the overall experience for students, families, and staff. One key priority for me is ensuring families receive regular, positive communication about student progress and growth. You can learn more here. We look forward to sharing progress as this work continues through next fall.

Congratulations to Kayla Saville, a teacher at Summerwind STEM Academy and Kent Hemseri, the CTE Fire Science instructor who were recently honored as recipients of the Inspired Excellence Awards, recognizing individuals who go above and beyond in service to their students, schools, and community. Through their dedication to student learning, innovative instruction, and meaningful community engagement, Kayla and Kent have made a lasting impact on the lives of their students.

Students often tell me that the people in our schools make a lasting difference in their lives—and this week I received a letter that proves it. A Mountain View High School sophomore wrote to tell me about substitute teacher Mr. Lee, sharing, “At the end of every class he tells us how special we are… how we are all gifted, unique, incredible human beings.” That kind of impact deserves recognition and I’m proud to highlight Leland Savell, known as "Mr. Lee." His story is a powerful reminder that every adult in our schools—teachers, substitutes, and staff alike—helps create a community where students feel seen, valued, and inspired.

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

As Summer is just around the corner, kindly be reminded that West Ada prohibits Microsoft 365 account access beyond the borders of the USA and USA Territories.

ACTION: If any student plans to travel outside of these specified regions and needs access to their accounts, it is essential to contact the IT Service Desk or submit a helpdesk ticket beforehand. Please include a detailed list of the countries you intend to visit and the corresponding travel dates. Requests for potential exemptions will be assessed on a case-by-case basis.

Students who need access to IDLA courses outside of North America will need to make additional arrangements with IDLA (see Travel INFORMATION link below).

LINKS: STUDENT Out-Of-Country Travel INFORMATION

STUDENT Out-Of-Country Travel REQUEST

📢 Access a parent report through the GoGuardian Parent App!

Parents, did you know you can view your student's browsing history during school hours and manage the use of their district-issued device after school hours through the GoGuardian Parent app? This tool provides valuable insights into your child's online activity, helping you promote safe and responsible browsing habits both during and outside school hours.

Below are a few examples of parent reports, including a summary of a student's browsing history and a report showing the student's top five most visited websites in the last 30 days. 🔗CLICK HERE for more information and step-by-step instructions on how to sign up!

Join us next week for the Hoops 4 Hunger Finals as our top fundraising teams hit the court for an unforgettable night of competition, community spirit and a good cause!

🔥 Middle School Finalists: Sawtooth & Victory competing for the Golden Spoon
🔥 High School Finalists: Centennial & Owyhee competing for the Golden Fork

Plus, we’ll be presenting our winning Elementary School, Chief Joseph School of the Arts, with their well-earned Golden Tray Trophy! 🏆

📅 March 12th
📍 Rocky Mountain High School Gym
⏰ 6:00–8:00 PM
👥 Teams: 6v6 (half staff / half student players)
🎟 Admission: Any monetary donation — even a nickel gets you in!

Come cheer on your school, support our finalists, and help us close out Hoops 4 Hunger with an exciting night of basketball — all while fighting hunger in our community.

Every cheer makes a difference! Special thanks to our sponsor, CBH & Chick fil A (@ the Village), for helping make this event possible.

Don’t miss what’s going to be a fun, high-energy night of hoops!

West Ada is proud to have Unified Champion Schools across our district. These programs bring students with and without intellectual disabilities together—building friendship, leadership, and a true sense of belonging both in the classroom and through sports. 🏀🤝Last month, Eagle High School’s Unified program was selected by Special Olympics to represent Idaho at Capitol Hill Day in Washington, D.C.✨

Nathan, a Special Olympics athlete, attended alongside his classmate Ozzie, his Unified partner. Together, they met with Idaho lawmakers to advocate for greater opportunities and to share how Unified sports at Eagle High have profoundly impacted their lives. 🏅💬

You’ll see footage in this story from both their Washington, D.C. trip and from Owyhee High School, where Unified programs from across the Treasure Valley recently gathered for a basketball tournament. The energy, teamwork, and community on display there reflect exactly what Nathan and Ozzie were advocating for in our nation’s capital.

Unified Champion Schools create opportunities for all students to thrive—and this unforgettable experience is one Nathan and Ozzie will never forget. 🌟

#WeAreWestAda #SpecialOlympics #UnifiedChampionSchools #UnifiedSports #Belonging #EagleHighSchool #IdahoEducation #StudentLeadership #CapitolHillDay

The entire WASD Community is invited to review two elementary music resources, provide feedback, and ultimately help us in selecting the best resources for our K-5 students.

All information, including where to find the resources and how to view them, and the feedback survey, are linked within the PDF below.

Please nose that the linked feedback form will not accept responses until the feedback window officially opens on March 2, 2026.

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.

With the opening of Independence Elementary School in the 2026–2027 school year, West Ada School District is proactively adjusting attendance boundaries to balance enrollment and support continued student growth.

In this episode, we break down what the approved boundary changes mean for families and how the process unfolded.

We’re joined by Miranda Carson, Director of Transportation and Planning, and Dr. David Reinhart, Chief Operating Officer, who share insight into the data, guiding principles, and community feedback that shaped the final plan. Beginning in September, a parent-and-patron-led planning committee worked alongside district leaders to develop and refine a thoughtful proposal designed to minimize disruption while planning for the future.

View the new boundary maps and additional information here: https://www.westada.org/article/2546186

Plus, don’t miss our Student Pulse segment! Idaho Fine Arts Academy (IFAA) student leaders Alexa B. and Rosalia M. share their perspective on one of West Ada’s dynamic schools of choice. That conversation begins at 19:23.

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