STAR, IDAHO — Staff and parents of Star Elementary are beginning to see the negative impacts that population growth is having on their elementary school.
- Star Elementary is the only option for parents to send their kids to their small growing city.
- Kids are having to be sent to Eagle schools due to population.
- There was a levy proposed last May to help fund a new school but was denied.
- From Thanksgiving to Christmas of 2023, 54 new students were enrolled.
- Teachers are losing the ability to make more personal connections with young kids.
(Below is the transcript from the broadcast story)
So many young families are moving to Star, which means more kids going through the Star schools. But, there's a problem. The growing city currently only has one elementary school. I am your Star neighborhood reporter, Alexander Huddleston, at Star Elementary where staff and parents are voicing concerns of overcrowding.
"An elementary this size, we can't even have assemblies anymore," said Rachelle Petross.
Petross, a second-grade teacher, has been growing young minds at Star Elementary for 22 years. She has seen the school grow from around 300 students to now over 700.
"Our classes are overcrowded. We have portables back, even though this new addition is only 4 years old," explained Petross.
Principal Todd Adams said, "Enrolling students -- just between Thanksgiving and Christmas we enrolled 54 students."
And with growing class sizes, come concerns that faculty will have to forego strengthening relationships with each student.
"Relationships are number one within the classroom. It's hard for the teachers to develop those strong relationships," said Adams
"It helps a child as a student if you have fewer students per teacher," said one concerned parent.
Speaking with parents and staff, they say the solution is simple.
"We have to have another elementary school out here," pleaded Petross.
Another parent finished by saying, "So that the schools have the best education for the systems in place."
But a 2023 levy that hoped to fund future development failed.
David Reinhart of the West Ada School District explained to me, "If there is no funding for schools either through a vote or through the state legislature we will have to continue to figure out, bussing alternatives in order to find room for all the students."
The district says they have no further plans to propose a levy anytime soon.
