“I don't recall when the bond was being presented that it was earmarked for a new Sunnyridge school. regarding your comment that I don't have a dog in the fight, I have to respectfully disagree with you. Every taxpayer in Nampa has a vested interest in what happens to a school built with public funds. That is one of the problems with this whole issue. The Sunnyridge parents felt the school was theirs, it's not, it's the taxpayers of Nampa's school.

“We built a new Sunnyridge and now people don't want it. Don't come bothering me with a bond election to fix the old one. This is the classic liberal problem: give me what I want cost be darned. Go ahead and stomp your feet and huff but Sunnyridge parents listen up! You've made your bed, now sleep in it. OH and I see we have a politician grandstanding and sticking his nose in when he doesn't have a dog in the fight.

“Mr. Henry, How can you agree with the decision when you mentioned it was flawed? Are you to say that if the survey was corrected and the majority that should have been represented voted in favor of moving, your position would remain the same? So, if elected, would you be for the people or your own agenda? Hmmmmmmmmmm... I ponder the hypocrisy. If elected, would you send a mailing out to all voters in the city informing them of a vote on a school bond? Could you also explicitly state why the bond needs to pass? I believe we all knew that Nampa was exploding in population when this school bond was voted on and a new school would be needed to handle this crisis. This was the intent of the bond. Now we leave this decision to four board members and a survey to determine how millions of dollars will be spent. In my opinion, it's underhanded that we hold these school bond votes in school gymnasiums in the first place and claim no bias. And then we twist the intent of the vote to suit a neighborhoods' fancy once again keeping the voters' voice moot.

“As a parent I am bothered by the fact that New Horizon staff is claiming discrimination against them, when they claim that thier school is 50/50,Half American and Half Hispanics Who do they think is being discriminated. As a Hispanic myself I bothered by the fact that we as Hipanics have spent so many years to get to where we are in our community and our ridiculus display of materialistic selfishness and lack of self discipline can and will definitly set things back not just for ourselves but for our children. We should strive to make the nessary changes and adjustments with the collective progress of the district students in mind and not our own personal wishes.

“I am a Sunny Ridge parent, teacher, and I live in the Sunny Ridge neighborhood. When our faculty was first asked to vote on our choice, it was difficult for me to decide because I could easily see both sides of this situation. When the survey came out and I completed it, I found that the survey questions put me even more on the fence on the issue. Sunny Ridge is near and dear to my heart and change is often uncomfortable. However, I realize my child is only going to attend this school for a total of 6 years, and when she moves on to South, I'm not moving my home to follow her to school! What disappoints me the most about this situation is the way it was handled. From the information at the meeting, it seems like the time spent doing the survey was a waste, because the survey meant nothing. The fact that Bob Henry went on it and said he had a Sunny Ridge student and he filled it out further taints the survey! How many others did the same thing, causing false results? We will never know. But then, does it even matter? The survey meant nothing, now we are told. If the stakeholders (NSD Parents, teachers, taxpayers, etc) harbor ill feelings about the outcome of this decision, their feelings can easily be validated. The survey only created the illusion that anyone had a voice, because the end result was that the school board members made the decision based on inaccurate and vague information. The (hopefully not soon-to-be) City Councilman showed his true colors as well. For me, all it does is boldly and clearly illustrate that Nampa politics is still very much small town, and in Nampa, the squeaky wheel gets the grease.

“I'm curious, what true colors was I displaying on Thursday evening? According to the information that was provided at the meeting only about 200 people filled out the survey. Not a very good representation of the parents of the two schools. I seriously doubt that my opinion in the poll was what swayed the Board. As I have stated before, I didn't have a direct stake in this issue. I do feel that there are additional stakeholders other than the current parents and teachers of Sunnyridge and New Horizon. That was my frustration with the poll. It did not allow other interested parties an opportunity to provide input into the disposition of a public school. I personally think the board made the right decision, understanding that whatever their decision had been som group was not going to be happy.

“I am shocked, dumbfounded and appalled. I demand an explanation from the school board. How did they come up with this decision? I don’t believe you had all the facts. Why would you ignore the school districts recommendations? The poorly worded survey that was sent out was split 50/50 down the percentage line. Not to mention that it was geared to those who had issue with moving. The survey didn’t even apply to the New Horizons parents other that to allow them the opportunity to express their desire for the new building and yet they were given the opportunity to take it. Many parents didn’t even fill out the survey because they felt the decision was already made to move the school at least that was what they were told – twice. Then there are people like Bob Henry filling out a survey that he himself said he had to lie about in order to take. The teachers couldn’t take the survey and they are in the school every day to see what our children need. All but a few teachers desired the new school for the Sunnyridge students. Not because of greed or selfishness – but because a new building really is a need. Our choir/music program, band and athletic department must use other facilities i.e. – Lake Ridge Elementary and South Middle schools for their events and performances. The argument was made that New Horizons deserves this building. Deserves… really…. .why? They are a special interest magnet school with a current population of K-2. They do not have choir, band and an athletic department and I am shocked that a school board member would ask the principal in the meeting if these are programs that they might want down the line. Might want? What kind of question is that? We currently have these programs at our school and yet our facilities don’t meet our needs. To name a few: Last year the fourth grade had to take their Idaho music production across highway 45 and perform it for their parents at Lake Ridge. Our Christmas music programs are held at South Middle school. Yet the New Horizons desire trumps the need of the Sunnyridge students? Twice the decision was made to move the Sunnyridge student body to the new location. The recommendations of the school district have been completely ignored. Not just Sunnyridge parents should be outraged – but all Nampa Tax payers. Before long the school board will be asking us all to pass another bond. This would not be necessary if the funds already approved were properly used. This decision is starting to feel like the classic bait and switch. Get us to vote for a new public school and then switch it out for a school with a special interest. With this decision the need for a new bond will come much sooner than would have necessary. For those who are unaware – Scott Kido and Ben Gal (school board members) asked that the administration to look into and fix the problems at Sunnyridge. If this poor decision isn’t corrected we will hold the school board to it – i.e. a new gymnasium and walls/doors on the pod classrooms. These problems would not be obstacles for the New Horizons School – as there are enough classrooms with doors to accommodate their smaller population and they currently do not have the extra curricular activities that need a larger gym. New Horizon parents have a made a choice. It was their choice to send their children to this magnet school. They don’t have to attend that school. Sunnyridge students don’t have that choice. If we desire a mainstream, traditional education we must go to the building we assigned to.Shame on those neighborhood parents that stood in the way of the need of all the students at Sunnyridge. I understand why they would want to remain in the current location. The school district offered to create classes for those that wanted to remain in their neighborhood as an option. The motivation of those parents in the neighborhood is selfish. The children that walk are 10-15%. More than 85% of the students ride the bus every day. I am offended that the 85% of students are discounted because they are rural students. I am offended that so much emphasis was placed on Nampa “neighborhood” schools. So those who attend yet do not live in the neighborhood are visitors? Why do the wants and desires of a small minority trump the need and benefit of all the students? Your children will benefit too from a building equipped to meet their needs. My question to the Fletcher neighborhood parents – If Sunnyridge were to be torn down and the new building built in its place – would that bother you? I doubt it. Their conveniences are getting in the way of what is needed for our children. Once again school board – explain you actions.

“I couldn't agree more with the previous two comments. I too was at the board meeting. The decision seemed to have already been made by the board before the meeting started. The questions asked by the board seemed "leading" and the responses made by the superintendent seemed at times evasive - and at other times simply wrong. The idea that a magnet school has no ability to "cap" it's population is ridiculous. New Horizons only admits students to their program if they are in kindergarten - and those students, in theory, move up through the grades. Therefore, the school's population is determined solely by the number of students they allow to enroll in their kindergarten. In fact, New Horizon's population can ONLY decrease in 1st and 2nd grade during any given school year, because new students in these grades can not enroll. New Horizons has total control of how many students can enroll, period. Now, compare that to a traditional elementary like Sunny Ridge. The state recommendation in grades K-2 is a student to teacher ratio of 23-to-1. Two years ago, the 1st grades at Sunny Ridge had 27-28 students per teacher. The 5th grades had more than 32. But did Sunny Ridge have the ability to turn students away? No. They must accept all students in their zone, regardless of their already overcrowded classrooms. The idea that New Horizons and Sunny Ridge both have "capping" potential is simply untrue. If Sunny Ridge were in the new Southside location, any time it was necessary they would have the room in that building to hire enough teachers to accommodate the overflow of students. The discussion at the meeting was misleading and/or extremely short-sighted as to Sunny Ridge's current student population as well. Yes, it has 428 student currently. That number is down from over 600 just 7 short years ago, when the entire district was overcrowded. So - the good taxpayers, like myself, voted in favor of building MANY new schools and guess what? The district rezoned and some Sunny Ridge students went to Reagan, some to Owyhee, and more recently, some went to Lakeridge and even the Idaho Arts Charter. The district solution, with ALL OF NSD TAXPAYER INPUT, worked! That's a positive thing. That's why the numbers at Sunny Ridge are lower; not because they have lost that many students due to the recession or other causes. However, now, if the 5 men on the Nampa School board have their way, when, in the near future, those 500+ lots within a mile of the new elementary school at the Southside location have new homes built on them, where will those children go to school? Not at the school "across the street." No - that will only be used for the New Horizons bilingual program. All of those children will all have to be BUSSED, at taxpayers' expense, to Sunny Ridge - maximum capacity of 600 - and that is with every square inch occupied, and with a gym that can accommodate about 300 and a lunchroom that can seat about 150. So - the school can't REALLY "accommodate" 600. . . it can comfortably accommodate 300. Again, that is short-sighted and fiscally irresponsible. New Horizons was promised a school three years ago - not a NEW school. They claimed repeatedly at the meeting it is discrimination to give them "an old school" like Sunny Ridge. But what about the Idaho Arts Charter School? They have made multiple moves and are now housed in an "old school." But I haven't heard the claim that the Nampa School District also discriminates against musicians, dancers, artists and dancers! I guess we taxpayers should build them a new school next year. . . If this is how our school bond money is going to be spent - with 5 men making this decision so irrationally and arbitrarily, and even despite the polls THEY invented showing that both patrons and teachers of Sunny Ridge were in favor of the move, perhaps in the very near future when I am asked by the district to "support education" and pass a new bond- I will think of the brand new school sitting on Southside with only 200 students and an overcrowded Sunny Ridge and I'll "Just Say NO."

“In light of the fact that taxpayers foot the bill for the addition of new schools,I think that they should be "kept in the loop" as far as what happens after the bond is approved. In 2007, taxpayers approved a bond allocating over 33 million dollars for a new building. In September of this year,the NSD made a decision to move Sunny Ridge staff and students to the new building, and a letter informing parents was sent out to both schools' students. After an emotional outcry at the following board meeting from Sunny Ridge's involved and supportive neighborhood parents whose children walk to school, the board decided to "table" the decision, gather more information, and another letter was sent home stating that a decision would be made in October. At the board meeting last night, testimony from both sides was heard for almost two hours. Even though a survey taken by Sunny Ridge and New Horizon parents had a slight majority in favor of Sunny Ridge relocating to Southside and New Horizons having new placement at Sunny Ridge, and the majority of Sunny Ridge teachers voted to move, the decision was made to keep Sunny Ridge's placement and move New Horizon into the new school. Many Sunny Ridge teachers and families are shocked. They thought that the board would stick with their original decision, based on growth projection and the fact that Sunny Ridge has had to solicit other schools for use of their gyms for musical and special performances, while also struggling to coach a large turn-out of 5th graders that go out for volleyball and basketball each year and are crammed in the tiny Sunny Ridge gym. To my knowledge, Sunny Ridge has never been able to house a jamboree and can't even fit the entire student body in the gymnasium to have school-wide assemblies. Lockdown is a problem at Sunny Ridge as there are only 7 classrooms with doors that lock. These problems would not exist for New Horizons students and staff for a number of years, if at all. The success of this program is still unknown as none of the New Horizons students have faced ISATs and won't until the end of 3rd grade. The school currently has only K-2 enrollment. I am not undermining the value of having a bilingual magnet school, but only pointing out that is still in its early stages and much remains to be seen about the success of the program. If moved to the Sunny Ridge location, students and staff of New Horizons would have years of comfort before having to do remodeling to the building when and if extra-curricular programs warranted the addition or remodeling of a larger gym. If they wanted to remodel before the need arose, it would be more feasible for them to do this with a population of 270 than for the 400+ Sunny Ridge student body, which has dealt with the problem of the small gym and computer-deficit classrooms for as many years as it's been in existance. I want to encourage the further investigation into this matter, to uncover the "facts" of the situation, rather than just the emotions and biased opinions of those of us who have a vested interest. I concede that my opinions are biased for the personal interest of my students and the great education I'm attempting to give them. Furthermore, and maybe of more importance, was the admission from Bob Henry, a local city council candidate and business owner,that he lied and said he had children at Sunny Ridge so that he could access the online survey that was intended for only Sunny Ridge and New Horizon parents. His admission was met with jaw dropping from some and light chuckles from others. I think that I speak for many who have no interest in electing a public official who lies to promote his own self interest. This should be brought the public's attention.

“I'm curious, what self interest was I promoting at the meeting? I don't have any kids that currently attend Sunnyridge or New Horizon. I no longer live in the subdivision around Sunnyridge school. The only reason I testified was because I felt that it was not right to close down a neighborhood school and turn it into a magnet type school. In hindsight, I have to admit that when I testified I should not have used the word lied when I commented on the opinion poll. Lied infers deception and that was NEVER my intent. Also, trying to add levity to the environment was inappropriate on my part. It was clear that there was passion on both sides of the issue, both sides expressed there views very well. This was just one of those frustrating situations that no matter what the board decided, someone was going to be disappointed. It's too bad that the group that supported moving Sunnyridge were the ones diappointed because I found them to be people of high character that expressed themselves very well.

“As a Sunny Ridge parent in attendance of the special school board session I could not agree more with the comment by the Nampa School District teacher. So many differing testimonies were heard, what are the facts? The school board surely didn’t offer any answers when they cast their vote. In fact quite the opposite was true, a board member asked the question, “Why have parents been stating that New Horizons will cap out at a certain enrollment of students and are not subject to overcrowding like any other school” How is it that a board member voting on the issue at hand not understand the facts of the case? Documentation from the Nampa School District did indeed go home to every parent with children at both Sunny Ridge and New Horizons explaining the future projected growth in Canyon County based upon the multiple approved subdivisions within the vicinity of the proposed new elementary school and how Sunny Ridge a public school will need to support these future families. A district member explained in an open forum meeting that New Horizons current policy is to accept 100 students per year and is currently approved as a K-5 school with no talks within the District or current proposals being brought forward with plans of expanding further. Furthermore it was explained that New Horizons staff and parents were told if the school proves successful they could someday have a building of their own, and not necessarily a new building. So why was it that when our elected school board member asked the question regarding New Horizons policy on capping student enrollment did our District Superintendent Gary Larsen reply that New Horizons was susceptible to over crowding like any other school and that they did not have intent to cap in the future even though they have capped enrollment for the past three years? What are the facts? How do the city of Nampa tax payers feel about how their dollars are spent? Are they ready for to pass and pay for a new bond when our public schools become overcrowded again while the alternate magnet school sits underutilized? I would also like to know. I also have to admit that I was extremely upset with the comments made by multiple New Horizons parents and staff that feel that having to relocate to an older building is discrimination. Are they inferring that they are too good for an older building? Does that mean that the current students at Sunny Ridge are being discriminated against? Was that why the school board vote in favor of New Horizons getting the new building, because the word discrimination and inference to racism frightened them? And again I ask what do the tax payers think?