Noise, fumes, traffic and accidents. Residents of a suburban Nampa neighborhood fear these problems are headed their way if the school district moves forward with plans for a bus depot in the area.
On Tuesday, dozens of neighbors attended the Nampa school board’s regular meeting to protest, after news broke that the former Union High School was slated to become a depot that houses 100 school buses. The vacant school building is adjacent to a pair of subdivisions in south Nampa.
“The bus terminal would destroy the peace and tranquility that the neighborhood benefits from,” area resident Jim McCracken told the school board.
Nampa is searching for a depot after the school board last month hired a new busing contractor for the upcoming school year. Former contractor Brown Bus Company — which lost its Nampa contract due to an incomplete bid — had its own facility, but First Student, the new provider, doesn’t have a local depot to park buses when they’re not in use.
On July 2, KIVI reported that the district planned to convert the Union High School site into a transportation center, where 100 buses would be parked. Nampa’s community and media specialist Matt Sizemore said the conversion would cost about $200,000.
The news made waves in the south Nampa neighborhood, where residents say they were caught off-guard. “Many of us found out about it through the media,” said Lisa Sowards, who lives a few doors down from Union. “We did not hear (about) it from an actual person who represents us. That was really frustrating.”
Nampa Superintendent Gregg Russell tried to ease anxieties Tuesday. He said the Union proposal isn’t final, administrators are still “exploring our options” and they didn’t more thoroughly publicize the proposal because “due diligence” had yet to be completed.
“I was very concerned about going in front of the community without being able to answer all the questions around pollution, traffic, fumes, etc.,” Russell said.
Not all trustees are keen on the Union site, either. Board Vice Chairman Jeff Kirkman said he’s “not a fan” of buses regularly motoring through a residential neighborhood. “I think it’s a location that is not conducive to that environment.”
The bus depot spat comes amid a rash of contentious decisions in Nampa, spurred by strategies to mitigate a drop in funding and declining enrollment. Since December, the district closed four schools and ended its relationship with Brown Bus after 64 years. Dozens of bus drivers protested the latter decision, which came after Brown Bus proposed a major hike in costs for the district.
Last week, the district sent out a news release that said administrators have “initiated a comprehensive review” of alternatives to the Union site.
“Several potential sites are currently under review, with considerations including accessibility, impact on traffic, cost and overall benefit to the district and surrounding neighborhoods,” the release said. “The district is committed to a transparent process and will be communicating with community members, staff and other stakeholders to share updates as the process progresses.”
