Board of Trustees
A Message From Our Superintendent
 Dear
Friends,
Welcome to your Boise School District, home of first-rate
schools and quality staff members dedicated to delivering
excellent educational experiences to your child each
and every day! Our system has been recognized as one
of the top performing school districts in the nation.
We are a district of choice that allows parents and
students to choose the school they will attend. In
addition, we offer an open enrollment policy whereby
students who live outside of our District boundaries
are allowed to enroll in our schools tuition free on
a space available basis.
Our facilities include 33 elementary schools, eight
junior high schools, and four high schools. In addition,
we offer the Dehryl A. Dennis Technical Education
Center, and two alternative schools for students
interested in those options. There have also been a
number of new initiatives recently put into place to
benefit our diverse student population. Highlights
include: The Treasure Valley Mathematics & Science
Center (TVMSC) - a partnership program between
the Boise and Meridian School Districts founded by
a Micron Foundation grant. Housed at Riverglen Junior
High School, the school serves area public and non-public
school students. The curriculum is specifically designed
for students with a strong interest/desire to excel
in mathematics and science.
Public Harbor School at Owyhee Elementary
School - beginning with the 2004-05 school
year, serving students in grades K - 6. Key characteristics
of the Harbor Method include a focus on high academic
and behavioral expectations for all students, a core
knowledge curriculum, interactive and engaging direct
instruction methods to ensure each child's success,
and high levels of parent involvement.
Boise All Ready Pre-School Pilots -
Hawthorne Elementary and Whittier Elementary have been
chosen for the preschool sites. This preschool program
is an early intervention framework designed to give
preschoolers and their families the support and guidance
they need to be successful as they enter their elementary
school years together.
All-Day Kindergarten - During the
2003-04 school year, the Boise School District piloted
an all-day kindergarten program at two elementary schools.
The all-day kindergarten is tuition based, meaning
that parents who desire to have their child participate
in the additional half-day kindergarten pay a tuition
fee to support the extra half-day of instruction. The
instructional program of the additional half-day is
designed to expand the kindergarten curriculum in core
academic areas. During the 2004-05 school year all-day
kindergarten sites will be at Highlands, Shadow Hills
and Liberty elementary schools.
Madison Early Childhood Education Center -
A partnership program with Head Start to ensure that
all children have the services they need to be successful
in school. In addition, presence of Head Start in the
same building provides preschool children with developmental
delays an opportunity for integration with non-disabled
peers. The Center will open in the fall of 2004.
All District schools offer opportunities that fit
the needs of the children who attend them. All feature
excellent programs and staff and, space permitting,
are open to any students who wish to take part in their
offerings.
We challenge our students and staff to be their very
best, and they deliver! Our staff members consistently
win numerous local, state and national awards for service
to students and instructional excellence every year.
They serve on state and national boards and are leaders
in national organizations. One of our buildings, Taft
Elementary School, was recently honored as the only
school in the state of Idaho to receive the No Child
Left Behind Blue Ribbon Award by the U.S. Department
of Education!
Our students consistently score above state and national
averages on standardized achievement tests. They compete
with great success in local, state and national competitions
and programs in math, science, art, athletics, debate,
world languages, journalism, music, theater and professional
- technical education.
Idaho's most extensive menu of Advanced Placement
(AP) courses is offered to our high school students
and provide college-level experiences to them while
still in high school. Each school offers personalized
instruction. We offer special education programs for
physically or mentally challenged students, Gifted
and Talented programs for students including Magnet
classrooms, English Language Learner programs for limited
English proficient students, and Chapter 1 programs
providing tutorial assistance in reading, math, child-development
and study skills for youngsters requiring additional
support.
We are committed to providing the best education for
every child, and we invite you to become involved!
Your active role as a student, parent/guardian or staff
member will help ensure continuing excellence and improvements
in our classrooms and instructional programs.
There is much more to tell. Our website at www.boiseschools.org offers
a wealth of information about the District. If you
have questions or need additional information about
any part of the curriculum, policies or programs, please
feel free to call us at (208) 854-4000. We are here
to serve you!
Best wishes for a wonderful school year and thank
you for your support as we continue educating today
for a better tomorrow!
Dr.
Stan Olson
Superintendent of Schools
|
