UPDATE: October 22, 2026 - Board Meetings Regarding McMillan Elementary
A presentation on the future of McMillan Elementary will be given to the Board as an agendized item during the regularly scheduled Board Meeting on Monday, October 26, 2026, held at the District Service Center. Once published, the agenda for the October 26 meeting will be available 🔗here.
No decision will be made at the October 26 Board Meeting. The Board will consider staff, family and community feedback, along with enrollment, facility, financial and other relevant information, and will make a decision during the regularly scheduled board meeting at 6pm on Monday, November 9.
As an agendized item, public comments regarding McMillan Elementary will be accepted at the October 26 Board Meeting. District residents, current staff, enrolled students, and parents or guardians of enrolled students may address the Board via Patron Input; please review the following information regarding providing Patron Input:
To speak, sign up with the Clerk of the Board in the Sawtooth Boardroom between 5:00 and 5:55 p.m. on the day of the meeting.
When called, speakers must state their name for the record; Patron Input speakers must also identify the agenda item they are addressing.
Comments are limited to two minutes per speaker.
Trustees do not respond to comments during the meeting.
Please keep all comments respectful and refrain from referring to specific students or employees by name.
Patrons may also choose to provide written feedback instead via communicate@westada.org. This inbox will remain open for the entirety of this process. Input sent via email receives the same consideration as that given in person. All emails already submitted have been presented to the Board for their review. The October 26 Board Meeting may be watched live at this 🔗link.
UPDATE: September 25, 2026 - McMillan Elementary Community Meetings
Thank you to everyone who attended McMillan Elementary Community Meetings on September 16 and 22, 2026, and everyone who shared feedback via email.
Written summaries of the in-person Community Meetings are linked below, and the slideshow shared at the the meetings can be viewed 🔗here.
Wednesday, September 16, 2026 - 🔗written summary
Tuesday, September 22, 2026 - 🔗written summary
Video of the second Community Meeting available 🔗here
We continue to accept comments and questions sent to communicate@westada.org. Answers to additional frequently asked questions can be found below.
Process and Timeline
Has a decision been made by the West Ada School District Board to close McMillan Elementary?
No. The school district has hosted two community meetings to gather feedback regarding the district’s recommendation for McMillan Elementary. The West Ada Board of Trustees makes the final decision and is currently gathering information and considering community feedback before taking any action regarding the future of the school.
No final decision has been made for the 27-28 school year. McMillan Elementary will remain open throughout the 2026–2027 school year.
What district policy is being followed?
West Ada is following Board Policy 0716.10 and Administrative Regulation 0716.10-AR(1), which establish the process for considering the decommissioning of a school. District policies and administrative regulations are available through the Board of Trustees section of westada.org.
Why is McMillan being selected for possible decommissioning instead of another school?
After years of research presented by the district on school enrollment and trends, the Long-Range Planning Committee, composed of volunteer parents and community members representing all five trustee zones, recommended that the district evaluate the future of McMillan Elementary. The committee considered several factors, including declining enrollment, facility needs, and fiscal responsibility. McMillan has the lowest enrollment of any elementary school in the district.
What are the next steps?
During its September 14 meeting, the West Ada Board of Trustees voted to gather community input and complete its consideration of McMillan Elementary no later than November 9, 2026, in accordance with district policy.
The district will compile feedback from staff, families and community members and present it to the Board during the regularly scheduled board meeting on October 26, 2026. The Board will consider that feedback, along with enrollment, facility, financial and other relevant information, and will make a decision during the regularly scheduled board meeting at 6pm on Monday, November 9.
Enrollment, Capacity and Boundaries
What is McMillan Elementary’s current enrollment and building capacity?
As of 9/22/26 the Kindergarten through 5th grade enrollment at McMillan is 171 students and 8 pre-kindergarten students. . The school’s optimal design capacity is for 600 students. The school’s program capacity is 475 students.
How does the district determine and define school capacity?
School capacity is outlined in West Ada Policy 0714.00.
Optimal Design Capacity is the number of students a school was originally designed to serve. Program Capacity reflects how much space is currently available after classrooms used for specialized programs are taken into account. These may include preschool, gifted and talented, Positive Behavior Intervention and extended resource programs.
McMillan Elementary’s optimal design capacity is 600 students. After accounting for specialized programs, its current program capacity is 475 students. Right now, McMillan has less than 200 students.
Has West Ada considered changing McMillan’s attendance boundaries?
Yes, for years the Long-Range Planning Committee and the district planning department have considered ways to adjust boundaries at McMillan and other schools in the region. With many schools under capacity in the area, changing boundaries would not solve the area’s overall low enrollment. The district would need to bus students from a considerable distance to fill McMillan and bring class sizes in line with district expectations as outlined in West Ada Policy 0601.30.
If McMillan were decommissioned, which school(s) would students attend?
Receiving schools and attendance boundaries would be determined through a separate process if the Board votes to decommission McMillan Elementary. The district’s Long-Range Planning Committee would develop a proposed boundary plan for Board consideration, taking into account available school capacity, student needs, academic programs, transportation and, where feasible, opportunities to keep McMillan students together as they transition to another school.
Under Board Policy 0714.00, the proposed attendance areas must be presented to the Board of Trustees no later than its first regular meeting in February for changes that would take effect the following school year. This timeline gives families advance notice and an opportunity to consider their options, including open enrollment and schools of choice, before the changes take effect. The Board of Trustees would make the final decision on any boundary changes.
Is there enough space at nearby schools to serve McMillan students?
Yes. Based on current enrollment and building-capacity data, six nearby schools have a combined 1,016 available seats. This includes 270 seats at Andrus Elementary, 263 at Frontier Elementary, 151 at Pioneer School of the Arts, 149 at Summerwind STEM Academy, 130 at Joplin Elementary and 53 at Ustick Elementary. These figures are based on each school’s program capacity, meaning they have that many open seats even after taking into account specialized programs and services.
Student Services and Support
Would students continue to receive special education services if McMillan were decommissioned?
Yes, the West Ada School District Special Services program, offers special education services and related services under the provisions of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and the statewide policies, procedures, and requirements as outlined in the 2025 Idaho Special Education manual, for all children ages 3-21, who have been determined eligible.
Students currently receiving special education services at McMillan would continue to receive the special education and related services identified in their Individualized Education Programs (IEPs). The specific location and manner in which services would be provided would be determined through district planning and, when appropriate, the IEP process, while ensuring that each student's educational needs continue to be met in accordance with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and the statewide policies, procedures, and requirements as outlined in 2025 Idaho Special Education manual.
Would multilingual learner services be available at other West Ada schools?
Yes. Multilingual learner services are available throughout West Ada, with the level of support at each school based on student needs.
McMillan currently does not have a multilingual teacher because of the low number of ML students. Instead, the district provides support with a ML consultant and a district family advocate for the 11 students who speak five languages. Across the district, West Ada serves students who speak 83 different languages. At the elementary school with the greatest linguistic diversity, students speak 18 languages.
If McMillan were decommissioned, eligible students would continue receiving multilingual learner services at their assigned schools.
Are pre-kindergarten services offered at other West Ada schools?
Yes, West Ada has several Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE) programs throughout the district. ECSE students currently receiving special education services at McMillan would continue to receive the special education and related services identified in their Individualized Education Programs (IEPs). The specific location and manner in which services would be provided would be determined through district planning and, when appropriate, the IEP process, while ensuring that each student's educational needs continue to be met in accordance with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and the statewide policies, procedures, and requirements as outlined in 2025 Idaho Special Education manual.
What would happen to McMillan’s Community School services?
West Ada’s Community Schools are strategically located at Title I schools and operate as regional resource hubs. These hubs provide support to students and families across multiple schools.
The McMillan Community School hub currently serves: Andrus, Eagle Elementary, Eagle Hills, Flyers Center, Frontier, Galileo, Joplin, McMillan, Pioneer, Seven Oaks, Summerwind, and Ustick.
Social workers, counselors and other school staff at these sites may request clothing, shoes, school supplies and other resources for students and families.
If McMillan were decommissioned, maintaining access to these services within the region would be a priority for West Ada’s Federal Programs Division. The districtwide Community School hub model and its support for students and families would continue.
How would the district support students and families through any transition?
If any changes happen, West Ada would support students and families throughout the transition. District administration would ask the Long-Range Planning Committee to strongly consider keeping McMillan students together when developing any proposed attendance boundaries.
The district would also provide transition activities for students and families, including opportunities to visit their new schools, meet teachers and staff, learn about available programs and become familiar with the new environment before the change takes effect.
West Ada has experience supporting students through boundary changes and would work closely with families, staff and receiving schools to make the transition as smooth as possible.
Families may also apply for open enrollment at any West Ada school with available space. More information is available on the district’s 🔗Open Enrollment Information page.
Staff
What would happen to McMillan staff if the school were decommissioned?
If the Board votes to decommission McMillan, the district would work with staff members as they transition to positions at other West Ada schools. The district would make every effort to consider individual preferences while balancing available positions and staffing needs.
Staff members would receive a survey to share their location preferences, allowing the district to begin planning and support as smooth a transition as possible.
Building and Property
How did the district determine that McMillan needs approximately $5.4 million in repairs?
In 2024, an outside company evaluated each of the district's schools and other properties to determine long term update and maintenance costs. The report looked at every building, every system — structure, roofing, HVAC, plumbing, electrical, site work — inspected and scored. The districts 10-year facility plan can be found at 🔗Facility Plan | West Ada School District.
What would happen to the property if McMillan were decommissioned?
No decision has been made about the future of the property. The Board of Trustees would make the final decision regarding the site. No timeline has been established for this public process.
Feedback and Contacts
How can I share feedback directly with the Board of Trustees?
To share feedback on the potential closure of McMillan Elementary School, please use the email address communicate@westada.org. This is the preferred method because it allows West Ada to collect all community feedback, concerns, and questions in one place and share them with every member of the Board of Trustees.
Addressing the Board During Board Meetings
The West Ada Board of Trustees welcomes community input at Regular Board Meetings. District residents, current staff, enrolled students, and parents or guardians of enrolled students may address the Board in two ways:
Patron Input: Comment on items listed on the meeting agenda.
Good of the Order: Raise topics that are not on the agenda.
To speak, sign up with the Clerk of the Board in the Sawtooth Boardroom between 5:00 and 5:55 p.m. on the day of the meeting. When called, speakers must state their name for the record. Patron Input speakers must also identify the agenda item they are addressing.
Comments are limited to two minutes per speaker. Trustees do not respond to comments during the meeting. Please keep all comments respectful and refrain from referring to specific students or employees by name.
Contacting the Board Outside of Meetings
To reach the Board of Trustees outside of a Board meeting, contact Sarah Ingle, Clerk of the Board, at ingle.sarah@westada.org.
To contact an individual trustee, visit the Board of Trustees page on westada.org or email them directly:
Zone 1 - Chair Frasure, frasure.lori@westada.org
Zone 2 - Trustee McCullough, mccullough.evelyn@westada.org
Zone 3 - Trustee Brown, brown.meghan@westada.org
Zone 4 - Trustee Binetti, binetti.david@westada.org
Zone 5 - Vice-Chair Ozuna, ozuna.rene@westada.org
Original McMillan Elementary Community Meetings Information - Shared on September 15, 2026
The West Ada School District Board of Trustees has directed the district to begin gathering community input about the future of McMillan Elementary for the 2027-2028 school year.
The Board’s direction followed a presentation from district administration during its September 14 meeting. No final decision has been made regarding the future of McMillan Elementary. West Ada is following the process established in Board Policy 0716.10 and Administrative Regulation 0716.10-AR(1).
You can watch the full Board meeting and presentation 🔗here.
After research and discussions, the Long-Range Planning Committee, composed of volunteer parents and community members representing all five trustee zones, recommended that the district evaluate the future of McMillan Elementary. The committee considered several factors, including declining enrollment and fiscal responsibility.
Two public meetings will be held in the McMillan Elementary gym:
Wednesday, September 16, at 7:00 p.m.
Tuesday, September 22, at 5:00 p.m.
The meetings will provide an opportunity to learn more and share feedback You may also send written comments to communicate@westada.org. Please note that written comments submitted to the district become part of the public record.
The Board of Trustees also voted to make a decision regarding the future of McMillan Elementary no later than November 9, 2026, consistent with district policy.
The future of McMillan Elementary is an important decision that will not be made lightly. We are committed to keeping you informed and ensuring your voice is heard as this process moves forward.
