Featured Series

Stories about Idaho’s educators, students and policy makers plus features on bright spots in Idaho education.

Nampa valedictorian overcomes the odds

Senior Alex Tracy overcame challenges in his personal life to graduate with a 4.0 — and gain admission to the U.S. Naval Academy.

Educator shares inspiration during Teacher Appreciation Week

Longfellow teacher Emily Hammond opens up about her favorite teachers, why she got into education and what keeps her going every day.

Caldwell welding program receives a $70,000 facelift

Local companies donated all the supplies and labor and students helped with the construction, gaining hands-on experience.

Auto students compete for $25,000 scholarship

Clint McKague and Phillip Penrod from Meridian High School were the fastest in the state at repairing a 2015 Ford Fiesta at the annual Ford/AAA Student Auto Skills contest Friday, at the College of Western Idaho in Nampa. They completed the competition in less than 90 minutes and their work passed judges’ inspections. The duo…

Boise Music Week begins

Boise Music Week kicked off Friday night as students from the Boise School District took part in the sights and sounds of the annual gala event. More than 1,200 students sang and performed at the Taco Bell Arena with an audience of 5,000 people. The first Music Week began May 11, 1919. “Musical arts has been…

Students raise awareness about drug abuse

Law enforcement and Treasure Valley teens collected unused prescription drugs on Saturday. About 11 high school students took part in a Boise pharmaceutical take-back event at the Ada County Sheriff’s office. One Stone, a student-led Boise nonprofit, headed up the event with the DrugFree Idaho Coalition. “We have seen the horrible consequences of prescription drug abuse in…

Teens host prom for senior citizens

Teens aren’t the only ones having a prom night this month. More than 50 Nampa senior citizens dressed up and danced the night away on Wednesday. The cafeteria at Lone Star Middle School was the place to be. “This is the second year we have done this dance,” said Parker Akkerman, a junior at Nampa…

Koehler extends tenure as Ybarra’s chief deputy

Ybarra’s interim chief deputy now plans to remain with the State Department of Education through the end of 2015.

Students take part in mock disaster drill

Meridian Medical Arts Charter High School students spent their Friday morning saving lives — fortunately, it was only a drill. But it was a learning lesson in dealing with real-life disasters. A team of 38 high school juniors took part in a mock earthquake disaster drill to put their medical training to the test. Students practiced…