Ada County Commission OKs charter school for Dry Creek Ranch development north of Eagle
Residents living in Dry Creek Ranch could see a new school built sooner than expected.
Ada County commissioners unanimously adopted a proposal during a hearing last month that expands a contract with developer Boise Hunter Homes, allowing a land donation to a charter school to move forward.
Boise Hunter Homes started developing Dry Creek Ranch six years ago. The subdivision is located in the Dry Creek Valley near Idaho 55 and Beacon Light Road north of Eagle. A site on the subdivision was initially slated to be donated to West Ada School District for its plans to build a school in the Dry Creek area.
In a previous agreement, Boise Hunter Homes had a comprehensive plan that would allow the donation of its 7-acre school site, located at 14190 N. Tower Creek Ave., only to the West Ada School District.
However, the developers said they wanted to donate the land to build a school for residents sooner than West Ada’s planned timeline. They proposed an amendment to change the language in the comprehensive plan to allow the land be donated to the West Ada School District or “any school entity.”
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Boise Hunter Homes has already received an application to implement a charter school at the Dry Creek Ranch site, it said. The amendment came into effect Tuesday.
West Ada could not commit to building a school sooner than 10 years, Boise Hunter Homes marketing director Steven Siwek told the Idaho Statesman in an email.
“After meeting with a few different charter schools, each of them had a willingness to build a school within 2 to 3 years,” Siwek said. “Our residents and those within the surrounding area are very excited about the prospects of having a new and nearby school in the short term.”
Mater Academy: A proposed Dry Creek charter
Boise Hunter Homes project manager Todd Tucker presented the application for charter school Mater Academy at the hearing. If approved by the Idaho Charter Commission, the Dry Creek school could open as soon as fall semester 2024.
Tucker said the school plans to enroll students in grades K-6 in its initial year, then add grades to become a K-8 school. In its first year, Tucker said the school would anticipate a total enrollment of approximately 305 students. By 2029, the school would seek a total enrollment of about 650.
Tucker said a charter school built in Dry Creek Ranch would add space at Seven Oaks Elementary School and extend the timeline the West Ada district needs to get a bond passed to build another school in the area.
“We feel this mitigates the impact on West Ada by providing another option for students to attend and alleviating some of that pressure on existing schools in the area,” Tucker said.
West Ada School District prioritizes other regions
Greg Wilson, spokesperson for West Ada, told the Statesman the district is focused on building schools in other parts of its boundaries rather than the Dry Creek area.
“The West Ada School District’s most immediate need for additional schools right now is in Star and southwest Meridian, although we are being strategic and looking across the district boundaries over the next 10 years and beyond,” Wilson said in an email.
In April, the Idaho Statesman reported that some West Ada schools were nearing capacity, and the state’s largest district had been discussing its constant need to build more schools.
With 58 elementary, middle and high schools, the West Ada School District serves nearly 39,000 students, according to fall enrollment data from the Idaho Department of Education.
