Boise School District history

Research indicates that the first school in Boise was opened by F. B. Smith in the fall of 1863 at the corner of Idaho and Seventh Streets.

In 1864, a public school system was established in the Idaho Territory.

The first public school in Boise opened in June 1865.

The six men were individually named as Trustees in the House Bill which established the District in 1881.

He left in February, 1882 and was first followed as superintendent by a Professor Boomer and later by a Professor George.

The first graduating class, in 1884, was composed of Tom G. Hailey and Henry Johnson.

An article in the October 6, 1885 Idaho Triweekly Statesman indicated that Central School was divided into four departments: 1) primary, 2) intermediate, 3) grammar, and 4) high school.

Athletic activities for boys began in the 1890's.

Whittier School was built in 1894 to relieve the overcrowding at Central.

Kiggins left in 1896 and was followed by J. J. Allison.

Military training, a great love of first Superintendent Daniels, was begun for high school students in 1900.

The first Boise High School was built in 1902 on the site where the central portion of Boise High is today.

As enrollment continued growing, up to 2,364 students in 1903, additional buildings were constructed.

In 1907 the first District, Hawthorne, was annexed to the Boise District.

In 1908 the east wing was built and attached to the original structure.

The west wing was constructed in 1912-13 and attached to the original building.

During World War I, the group disbanded, but reorganized in 1918.

Like Lowell, Roosevelt School was built in stages; but it was completed in only one year, 1919.

In 1924 an Opportunity Room was established at the old Whittier School for students who were not benefiting from regular school programs.

Perhaps one of the most important changes during the 1930's was the change from an 8-4 graded school system to a 6-3-3 graded system.

One important addition to the curriculum during this time was the beginning of speech correction classes at Lowell School in 1934.

The first junior high, now North, was built in 1936-37 on 13th Street for a cost of $308,351.

Perhaps one of the most important changes during the 1930's was the change from an 8-4 graded school system to a 6-3-3 graded system. It opened in September of 1937 and housed grades 7, 8 and 9.

The junior high concept was formally organized in 1939.

In September, 1940, the Pierce Park District, formerly known as Common District No.

Beginning with the 1943-44 school year, the District began to grow.

The District's second junior high, South, was built in 1947-48.

The Holcomb District, which adjoined the Garfield District, annexed May 14, 1949.

In 1950 a full time speech therapist began offering services to eligible students.

A second addition to Pierce Park was constructed in 1951, as was a second addition to Roosevelt.

In 1953 a program was established at Franklin School to teach special needs children.

The construction of Borah High School in 1958 resulted in the tenth grade students returning to the high schools.

In 1960, additions were constructed at Mountain View, Lincoln, Borah and Boise.

A 14-room addition was built onto Hawthorne in 1961.

Lincoln expanded its program in 1962 so that special education students from grades 1 through 12 could receive an appropriate education.

In 1964 the third high school was built in west Boise and was named Capital.

In 1968 the building program was rounded out by the building of Owyhee, Valley View and Maple Grove.

The focus of change during the 1970's moved from constructing facilities to expanding and changing curriculum.

In June, 1972, the Boise patrons approved an increase in the mill levy to fund the kindergarten program.

In an attempt to insure that all students mastered the basic life skills, the District developed a K-12 Basic Responsibilities program in 1975.

Construction of Amity Elementary School (pictured bellow) in 1977-78 (the only new school constructed during this decade) eased the strain on Maple Grove.

The Board of Trustees identified curriculum revision and staff development as its highest priority in 1984.

In 1985 the School Volunteer program began Partners in Education.

In September, 1987, Liberty had the largest enrollment of any elementary school in the District.

In the early 1990's, the District shifted its emphasis to the sites, beginning a process known as Site-Based School Improvement, in which building teams began to make significant decisions about schooling of children in their communities.

In the Fall of 1993, Boise celebrated 150th anniversary of the Oregon Trail and opened Les Bois Junior High on Boise Avenue to nearly 1000 students who become the Trailblazers.

The IMC/TRC services were combined with curriculum and staff development in 1994, and the facility was renamed the Educational Services Center.

All District schools were involved in the project at the beginning of the 1995-96 school year.

Shadow Hills Elementary was also constructed in northwest Boise in 1998, and Riverglen Junior High opened to relieve the enrollment stress placed on Hillside Junior High by growth in the northwest area of town.

In-district exams known as End of Course Assessments, recommended by the Curriculum Audit in 1999, grew to encompass most coursework in grades 7-12.

The building was used as the District's administrative offices until 2001 and has since been sold, demolished, and replaced by upscale condominiums.

In 2002, a new administrative facility was built just south the Professional Technical Building.

In 2003, the Board of Trustees opened enrollment to students from other districts with no tuition fee.

In March, 2005, voters approved a $94 million bond issue, and construction began on several new buildings, including Morley Nelson and Grace Jordan (pictured) Elementary Schools, which replaced Franklin, McKinley, Cole, and Jackson Schools.

In the following ten years, the District lost over 2,200 students, until 2007-08, when a modest increase of 150 students was seen.

For the start of the 2009-10 school year a new Whitney School (built on the same site as the existing building) and a new East Junior High School (pictured), located in the Barber Valley several miles east of the current site opened.

In 2013, on the second statewide administration of the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT), Boise District juniors outperformed students in every other large district in the state of Idaho.