April School Board Report: Board adopts new elementary curriculum

Posted Date: 04/20/26 (05:30 PM)

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Board Report

Recap of the April 2026 Kuna School Board regular monthy meeting

A group of five people, three men and two women, pose for a studio portrait against a blue, textured background.

Highlights

The Kuna school board met on Tuesday, April 14, 2026

📺 Watch the meeting recording

📖 Review the agenda

In this report,

➡️ Board adopts new K-5 English Language Arts curriculum recommended by parents, teachers

➡️ Celebrations

➡️ Other reports & actions

KHS gym vestibules will be built this summer
Revisions to proposed sale agreement for 4th Street gym sale OK'd
Trustees OKs agreement with developer to provide donation, safety path for students
Work under way on 2026-27 budget
Acrisure chosen for health insurance consultant

➡️ Policy decisions

➡️ Consent agenda

➡️ Next meeting: May 12, 2026

Board adopts new K-5 English Language Arts curriculum recommended by committee of parents, teachers

Three presenters stand in front of a screen displaying "K-5 ELA Adoption Committee Parents" and "Kuna School District."

Trustees approved a committee recommendation to adopt Into Reading and ¡Arriba la Lectura! as the district’s core K–5 English Language Arts curriculum. Committee members Christena Meier (parent) and Kara Skaggs (teacher) highlighted the collaborative review process, which included classroom pilots and direct observations across all elementary schools.

Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment Director Kevin Gifford stated that the curriculum will be implemented in the coming school year. Work is currently underway to order materials and schedule professional development for teachers to ensure a smooth transition.

📖 Review the presentation

📺 Watch this part of the meeting

Celebrations

Kuna career technical students fare well in state competitions; expanded options coming in 2026-27

Career Technical Education Administrator Stuart Vickers highlighted the recent success of high school students in competitions for FCCLA, BPA, HOSA, SkillsUSA, and FFA. Several students qualified for national competitions and for state leadership roles. To build on this momentum, the district is introducing or expanding offerings in apparel and textiles, military science, advanced engineering and control systems and electrical.

Review the list of student achievements.

Other reports & actions

KHS gym vestibules will be built this summer

The Board of Trustees accepted bids for new East and West vestibules at the Kuna High School gymnasium’s public entrances. This project was moved up the priority list to take advantage of the school’s closure this summer during the second phase of HVAC replacements at the school.

The project also includes modernized security swipe-in system and ensures full accessibility for individuals with disabilities.

Notably, the project is expected to cost about $550,000. This is less than early estimates of $700,000.

📺 Watch this part of the meeting

📖 Review the presentation

Revisions to proposed sale agreement for 4th Street gym sale OK'd

The Board of Trustees approved revised terms for the sale of the 4th Street Gym to the City of Kuna. Key elements of the agreement include sale price, use before and after the sale, and timeline. The revised agreement now heads to the city for consideration.

📖 Review the presentation

📺 Watch this part of the meeting

Trustees OK agreement with developer to provide donation, safety path for students

The Board of Trustees approved an agreement with developers for a planned 95-lot single-family home Newberry Place subdivision.

Agreement highlights:

Financial Contribution: The developers have agreed to a voluntary contribution of $49,000.
Student Safety & Access: The developer will construct a walkway path allowing students within the subdivision to safely access busing services on Ten Mile Road.
Payment Timeline: Funds will be disbursed to the district once construction commences and the necessary building permits are issued.

In Idaho, developer are not required to pay impact fees to school districts. Kuna School District asks developers to consider a voluntary contribution to help offset the impact of growth.

📖 Review the agreement

📺 Watch this part of the meeting

Work under way on 2026-27 budget

Chief Finance Officer Jonathan Gillen reported that the district is preparing the 2026-27 proposed budget following the state legislative session. While insurance funding has increased, it is likely insufficient to cover rising premiums. Meanwhile, funding for general operations and employee compensation remains flat.

📖 Review the presentation

📺Watch this part of the meeting

Acrisure chosen for health insurance consultant

Trustees approved the use of Acrisure as the district's health insurance consultant after reviewing information from a Request for Proposals.

📖 Review the presentation

📺 Watch this part of the meeting

Policy decisions

The board adopts new, amends existing, and removes policies through a series of "readings."

The first reading is typically the start of the process and can include discussions about changes.
The second reading allows for changes to be reviewed and/or additional changes to be made.
The third reading is typically the final step.

The public may provide feedback at every reading.

For this report, all policy decisions are reported below.

First Reading

Approved for first reading

Amending

0465 - Employing Retired Personnel
0910 - Rental/Use of School District Facilities

Removing

0314 - Employing Retired Administration

Adopting

0554 - Adolescent Relationship Abuse and Sexual Assault
0815 - Fund Balance and Accounting (GASB 54)
0819 - Consistency of Application of Federal Funding During Closure
0893 - Federal Grant Financial Management System
0894 - Allowable Uses of Grant Funds
0894.1 - Allowable Uses of Grant Funds - Determining Necessity and Reasonableness of Expenses
0894.2 - Allowable Uses of Grant Funds - Selected Items of Cost
0895 - Fraud and Theft Prevention

Second reading

Approved for second reading

Amending the following:

262 - Board Meetings
610 - High School Graduation Requirements

Third reading

Approved for third and final reading

Amending the following

500 - Student Handbooks
549 - Prohibition of Gangs
814 - Budget Implementation and Execution
832 - Revenues
834 - Fees
857.5 - Contracted Educational Services

Removing the following:

296 - Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act Hearing Procedure

Adopting the following:

556 - Academic Honesty
559 - Food Allergies
818 - School District Tax-Exempt Status
1012.1 - Patron Complaint Form

Consent Agenda

A consent agenda groups routine items for a single motion and vote, saving time in board meetings. It includes non-controversial items like approving minutes or standard reports. Any board member can request to pull an item for separate discussion and vote if needed.

Approved

About our trustees

The Kuna School District is governed by an elected board of trustees, with each trustee representing a specific geographic area of the district, known as a Zone.

Each year, the trustees elect a chairman and vice chairman to lead the board.

In addition to board meetings, trustees may also serve on district committees.

Below is information about each trustee.

Don't know who’s your elected trustee? Look up which trustee serves your address here.