The Boise school board Monday unanimously voted to close Owyhee Elementary and convert it into a preschool center.
Trustees sided with district administrators, who proposed the project, despite objections from Owyhee parents. The new early learning center will consolidate scattered preschool services and create space for “inclusive” classrooms to aid students with disabilities, the Boise administration argued. It will also allow for more accessible facilities that meet the unique needs of kids between 3 and 5.
“I’m very convinced that integrating our classrooms and improving accessibility in our classrooms is really important,” said trustee Shiva Rajbhandari. “I think this decision makes a lot of sense.”
Monday’s vote closed a contentious few months since the district first publicized the plan. Owyhee parents made a last ditch effort to save the school Monday. Anthony Locksmith said his second grader’s dream was to attend Owyhee through sixth grade like his siblings.
Angela Wimer, a mother of six district children, criticized the lack of public outreach before administrators announced in April that the school would close. District leaders later backtracked and apologized for the poor communication.
“You are voting on this proposal, but the wheels have already started turning, long before this meeting,” Wimer said.
Owyhee is a K-6 elementary school, located just north of Interstate 84 near Vista Avenue. The school’s enrollment will be 140 this school year, down from 174 during the 2021-22 school year. Trustee Nancy Gregory noted that this isn’t the first time the school board has discussed shuttering Owyhee.
“I, frankly, am thrilled that we have a reason to keep this school and this property,” said Gregory, who was first elected to the school board in 2002. “I hung on to that over the years, when data continually was presented that this is not liable anymore in terms of economies of scale and cost and the fiscal load of this building, because I thought we need to hang on to this land and this site.”
Administrators have said Owyhee is a “prime location” for a preschool center. The building has a “unique design” with “flexible learning spaces” that allows general education students to learn alongside students with disabilities, said a recent news release.
District leaders pointed to research that shows children with disabilities who learn in inclusive environments “experience significant gains in cognitive and communication skills” compared to peers in segregated learning settings.
“Both students with and students without disabilities benefit from an inclusive setting where they are learning side by side,” special education director Cherise Longoria said Monday.
A few teachers also testified to the potential benefits of inclusive settings and having a preschool hub where early learning teachers can more easily collaborate. Shelia DenglerShaw, a preschool teacher at Boise’s Whitney Elementary, recalled a visit to early learning centers in Kansas City, Missouri.
“It was just incredible, the amount of activities that we could do together,” she said.
Following the board’s decision, Owhyee will remain an elementary school for the 2024-25 year and transition to a preschool center in 2025-26.
Next, the district plans to assemble a committee that will redraw boundaries so nearby elementaries can absorb Owyhee students. The district also plans to host parent orientations to aid in the transition to new schools.
“I have the utmost confidence in those incoming schools that they are going to do everything in their power to welcome you and do whatever they can to make that a smooth transition for your families,” said trustee Debbie Donovan.
