Kuna Schools Update: School Election Nov. 4; Levy Update & more

October 2025

Dear Kuna Families,

We’ve had a great first month of school! As I think back for a moment about something our Back to School Keynote speaker Matt Eicheldinger shared with all staff, he said: “Behind every success story, there’s a teacher who saw the potential first.”

As I visit schools across the district, I’m inspired every day by the learning, collaboration, and energy of our students and staff. 

This year brought several changes — from new state tests in elementary schools, to a partial A/B schedule in middle school, to updated tardy policies at the high school. Across all schools, we’ve also implemented our updated cellphone policy. Thank you for your partnership in this effort. We’re already seeing the benefits: students are more focused, and instructional time is less interrupted.

What hasn’t changed is the strong involvement of our parents. It’s always encouraging to see so many of you engaged in school activities and organizations.

Looking ahead, we’re excited to welcome you to parent-teacher conferences next month, where you’ll receive updates on your child’s progress.

🍂 As we step into the fall season, I also want to share some important updates with you.

Sincerely,

Kim Bekkedahl

Superintendent, Kuna School District

One of the many ways we involve parents in shaping our schools is through advisory councils. Each school has its own, and at the district level, we also host the Superintendent’s Advisory Council.

👥 This group meets most months during the school year for about two hours in the evening to provide feedback, ask questions, and share insights. We strive to include parent representatives from each of our schools.

📝 If you’d like to apply to be considered for the council, please fill out this form by Friday, Oct. 3.  

📅 The first meeting will be later in October.

Thank you to our community for supporting the supplemental levy last November! This levy provides $3.6 million for this school year and next, directly supporting teachers, technology, and curriculum.

This year’s levy funds are being used for:

$3.36 million for 43 teachers (36 existing positions, 6 new)

$250,000 for technology and curriculum replacements

A common question is how the levy money is tracked. Our approved budget outlines the full spending plan for the year. Teachers are on year-long contracts, and technology and curriculum purchases are made at the start of the year, ensuring students and staff have resources when they need them.

When the levy was approved a year ago, we estimated taxes at $114.76 per $100,000 of taxable property value -- this was all taxes: bond, tort, and supplemental levy. The actual amount is much lower — $47.68 per $100,000 — thanks to higher-than-expected state property tax relief.

Here’s how the state relief helps this year:

For the second year of the levy (2026–27), state property tax relief has not yet been determined.

The board approved the next two years of calendars. A major change: school will start five days earlier in August and end earlier in May. Surveys of staff, parents, and students showed support for this shift, which allows grades 6–12 to finish the first semester before Christmas break. It also aligns our schedule with neighboring districts.

Thank you to the calendar committee for their work! PDFs of the calendars are available on our website.