BOISE, Idaho — Changes are ahead next school year for students in this Boise Bench neighborhood, who will have to walk much farther to get to school.
I learned more about how boundary changes around the existing Owyhee Elementary will impact Boise families as the campus prepares for its transition to an early childhood learning center.
“Because of the canal, I'm not going to let my kids walk by themselves,” said Megan Arrington.
Megan Arrington is a parent representative on the Owyhee Boundary Committee. And with the new boundaries, two of her kids will switch to Hillcrest Elementary next school year.
“I will have to make sure that I'm always with them," she said.
Their 10-minute walk to Owyhee will now be a 20- to 30-minute walk to Hillcrest Elementary.
“You're used to, like, 'hey, school starts at 8:45, I’ve got to be out the door by 8:35.' Now, that's like 8:25, and then here's this long walk. Oh, I hope my kids don’t stop to look at the canal and throw things in the canal,” Arrington said.
With the new boundary changes, Owyhee students will be split between Hawthorne and Hillcrest Elementary schools.
The green arrows on the map show suggested walking routes to both schools, designed to allow students to walk together.
But these routes add more time to Megan's daily trek.
“The way they want me to walk through the neighborhood streets to get to a crosswalk is going to add like 10 minutes to our walk. So, logistically, I'm probably not doing that. If anything, I’m going to go help my kids get across the street at Roosevelt,” said Arrington.
Students living within a mile and a half of their school won't get bus service, but parents are concerned for the safety of those walking.
To get to Hillcrest, students have to cross a canal, navigate speeding cars on Roosevelt, and watch for golf carts from the country club.
The district says they have a few solutions for these safety concerns.
“Safe Routes to School which is super cool they are planning events in the spring and events in the fall where they'll do a 'walking school bus' or 'riding school bus', and they'll all ride together and they'll talk about bike safety or walking safety,” said Anderson.
In addition, Becca Anderson with the Boise School District said neighbors in the Hillcrest area will welcome kids on their new walk during the first day of school.
She said, “It depends on the space you’re in, but the focus for our students who are now going to be at Hillcrest or Hawthorne is making them feel welcome and introducing them to other folks in the community.”
Anderson also said the district is working with Hillcrest Country Club to coordinate safety near the golf course.
It’s been almost a year since the Boise School District announced the closure of Owyhee Elementary.
Although Megan was one of the most outspoken parents during those early meetings, she now appreciates being part of the boundary change process.
“Being on the committee for me was all about representing the parents of Owyhee and the kids and trying to make good choices for them,” said Arrington.
Once Owyhee opens as an early childhood learning center next school year, school leaders expect enrollment to increase at Owyhee and the existing Lincoln Early Learning Center as programs across the district consolidate services into these dedicated centers.
