Emmett to float $20.4 million bond issue

Trustees for the Emmett School District approved putting a $20.4 million bond issue before voters in March. The six trustees made the unanimous decision after a six-hour board meeting. Superintendent Wayne Rush initially proposed a $22 million bond issue. Trustees reduced the amount by $1.6 million, money that was dedicated to purchase property for a new facility that wouldn’t be constructed for at least 10 years.

Boise State University president search begins

The search for Boise State University’s next president is officially underway. A series of in-person listening sessions will be held next week to give Boise State University stakeholders and community members an opportunity to offer input on qualities and characteristics most important to the position.

The listening sessions are scheduled Jan. 17-19 at the Boise State University Student Union Building. Click here for more information about the listening sessions.

Boise State University President Bob Kustra announced last year that he will be retiring June 30, 2018 after leading Boise State University for 15 years.

Enrollment open for new charter school

The first Waldorf school in the Treasure Valley and the third in the state of Idaho has open enrollment now until Jan. 15. Approved in October by the Idaho Public Charter School Commission, Peace Valley Charter School, a tuition-free school for pre-K through sixth grade, plans to open fall of 2018 in Boise.

Peace Valley Charter School will serve 320 students in the first year and is open for enrollment for Boise and Meridian students. The school will be located at 1845 Federal Way.

Waldorf public education principles emphasize on educating the student intellectually, emotionally and socially through sustainable living, gardening, music, movement, foreign languages, experiential learning and minimal use of technology in the early grades.

“There is a lot of excitement about the first Waldorf School in the Treasure Valley,” said Laura Henning, the executive director of Peace Valley Charter School.

Peace Valley Charter School, a member of the Alliance for Public Waldorf Education, would be the third school in Idaho guided by Waldorf principles. Sandpoint Waldorf  School, a private K-8 school opened 25 years ago, and Syringa Mountain School opened the Idaho’s first Waldorf charter school in Hailey four years ago.

Nationally, there are more than 50 charter schools that are members of the Alliance for Public Waldorf Education.

Interested families can attend an open house at the Boise Public Library at Cole and Ustick at 2 p.m. on Jan. 27.

Win a $10,000 theatre grant

NBC is launching R.I.S.E. America, a program that grants a half-million dollars to high school theatre programs across the country. R.I.S.E. (Recognizing and Inspiring Student Expression) America will award 50 high schools a $10,000 grant that will enable them to enhance or revitalize their theatre programs. The winning schools can use the grant money to cover various critical needs, including master classes and production expenses.

The $10,000 grant can be used for opportunities in 2018. Examples of the uses of funding include:

• Production – Fund a production, purchase critical theatrical equipment and/or supplies (lighting, sound equipment, costumes), and/or underwrite your first full play or your first musical.
• Student experience – Open students’ eyes and inspire them with exposure to new experiences: a field trip to a professional theatre production, attendance at a state theatre conference or national theatre festival with interactions from industry professionals and students from other regions.
• Teacher development – Provide professional mentoring and resources to empower the educator to expand the theatre program. For example, fund a master class with teacher visits; training sessions with professional technical directors, writers, choreographers, and set designers; travel costs for a teacher to attend professional development conferences.

Apply for the R.I.S.E. America grant by sharing how your theatre program could benefit from receiving $10,000. Applications will be judged on a combination of compelling stories, financial need, and potential impact to the school theatre program.

Application deadline is Feb. 6. Click here to apply.

Calling all creative teens

Are you a high school student who loves to produce videos? The Idaho Library Association is participating in the Collaborative Summer Library Program (CSLP) and is looking for teens to participate in a video challenge. Students can produce short videos that will be used across the country to promote summer reading programs in school and public libraries.

The purpose of the contest is to give teens the opportunity to make videos that encourage use of public libraries and promote reading all summer long. There will be one winning video in each state. Each state winning video will become one of the official Teen PSAs for the 2018 CSLP Summer Reading Program.