[{"_1":2,"_100":-5,"_101":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6273837,"mediaKeyId","2997374-641d3919c7eafa6a7dd12649380c52fc","parentId",2997374,"title","Middleton board approves donor-funded artificial turf fields; agreement requires proof of funds before work begins","audioSeconds",3341,"startMs",5552000,"endMs",8893000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2997374-641d3919c7eafa6a7dd12649380c52fc&start=5552&end=8893","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2997374-641d3919c7eafa6a7dd12649380c52fc/thumbnail_5552000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6273837/Idaho/Middleton-board-approves-donor-funded-artificial-turf-fields-agreement-requires-proof-of-funds-before-work-begins","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6273837-60abd51ea48547de2f69a4415e1e7f89/orig.mp4?Expires=1770771951&Signature=Ird-Xo3u~TyX77R6TaZGaaJLKdXHBzZp9XnBn5C9YQUZlnr-ML2ma0l28XKlmOmnUPS97E8~960xJ4qVWaYGDyGTfWp4shqVBIuWCjd4W~hSN~MwR7wdJxisVZEFdJLCvsghvYY6DHw7wbwXoS6xIUHUATqitHcLagViNAF7XzkWpvCcVMO0oEm5ZKbElZ0hHdPfTyJfM1J67H15-zbxkvvp3CJ6N2wNvgJFn0KMHifjU26nB6SxoFUesJekKqmEbdNEYfRo0rQx7XbMixtlsVQ2d4oYeqeGLvqQFiJ6WXsuT9S18y3vaHz~mFcYRSGiHwAodS9z~HWPZtM4Ryh~uQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Middleton District","date","2025-04-15T20:48:00.087Z","article","Brent Orton, an engineer working with Orp Engineering on the project, told the Middleton School District Board of Trustees that a private donor has offered to fund construction of artificial turf practice and competition fields at Middleton High School and asked the board to approve a donor agreement that would allow the donor to procure and install the work in phases.

Orton said the donor would privately solicit bids and that Orp Engineering would prepare specifications and oversee construction. \"This project is made possible by a donor who's willing to build the fields,\" Orton said during his presentation. He and district staff described two procurement paths: the district could accept donated cash and procure the work under Idaho Code procurement rules (Title 67), or the donor could privately procure construction and then donate the completed improvements to the district. Orton recommended the latter approach to reduce cost and speed the schedule, and legal counsel had reviewed both options.

The agreement the board reviewed requires the donor to provide verification of funds sufficient to complete a given phase after bids are received and prior to the start of site work for that phase. Orton explained the verification could be a certified letter from the donor's accountant certifying available funds, which gives the board assurance without making the donor's private financial documents public. The agreement also specifies that improvements will be conveyed to the district (via quitclaim or similar transfer) upon completion of each phase and that the district will hold first-priority scheduling for school use while working with community groups on shared access plans.

Nut graf: trustees weighed legal and procurement risks, timeline and community benefits before voting to accept the donor agreement. Board members asked about schedule and oversight; Orton and district staff said dividing the work into phases would reduce disruption to primary athletic fields and that installers estimated work could be completed in roughly two months per phase, subject to site and installation variables.

During discussion, district staff emphasized safeguards in the draft agreement: the donor must verify funds after receipt of phase bids and before any site work begins; Orp Engineering will administer specifications; and the district will require project insurance, construction warranties and post-completion conveyance documents. District staff said routine maintenance (for example, renewal of a sod layer where applicable) would be the district's responsibility once the facilities are accepted.

The board voted to approve the donor agreement. The motion to approve was made and seconded; members voted by voice and the motion carried. The board then asked district staff to return with the final executed agreement and a proposed community use plan.

Ending: Orton said he would coordinate bid and phase schedules with the donor and the district. Trustees thanked the donor and the project team for the offer; the board's approval clears the way for the donor-funded procurement to proceed to the bidding and verification steps required by the agreement.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Regular Board Meeting - April 14, 2025 - Part 1","oneSentenceSummary","The Middleton School District Board of Trustees voted to approve a donor agreement that allows an unnamed donor to privately procure and build artificial turf fields at Middleton High School, provided the donor certifies funds after bids and before work begins.","taxTitle","Middleton District, School Districts, Idaho","taxId",59116,"location","Idaho","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6273842,"Middleton planning maps propose new highway couplet, warn of multiyear timeline for Southern Bypass",500,2573000,3073000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2997374-641d3919c7eafa6a7dd12649380c52fc&start=2573&end=3073","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2997374-641d3919c7eafa6a7dd12649380c52fc/thumbnail_2573000.jpg","/articles/6273842/Idaho/Middleton-planning-maps-propose-new-highway-couplet-warn-of-multiyear-timeline-for-Southern-Bypass","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6273842-33cf08e7a19a5a4f15299c9e79983d51/orig.mp4?Expires=1770771951&Signature=ezJ1~t9gaM28gny5WKTAFqDgEHSPLHZb-xufzeLCjpqOQ1iC~DH~fNvNlZIhWE67viApaYkS0BVPbc3NOHM~HeY3KabiAP3L8b-KI437AkQYyTqt5muX9McVYgdODzsqkEeUd4TsHooOdiS3L~4wCXuCtL75vqqVYNG0c91cLph3GWCXhggbwdOREHzCLEcdG35CP1vFV7lZMMJF154eVprnG2BCb8HGwDxc7B~YXWmmXOfC9BxGzYsz8AS6lguYqH0xNnufquiJNC4pe9FSKNkeBzstmwbGgYlhmnK283ITdd2KAXchpw1pGAWw0EFwwQmyVBpQO-yV~A8oy~M8iA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Rob Kaiser, a city official presenting the City of Middleton's updated comprehensive-plan maps, told the Middleton School District Board of Trustees that the city's area of impact has shifted as nearby Star expands and that maps (not the plan text) now show transportation concepts intended to reduce school-area congestion.

Kaiser said the city council voted to pursue a 'couplet' concept: converting the existing Highway 44 and a parallel arterial (a new one-way street running opposite the existing route) to create two loops that would keep traffic flowing around downtown and reduce drop-off congestion near the middle school. \"Once it's built, the existing Highway 44 will travel from east to west only,\" Kaiser said, and the parallel one-way couplet would carry traffic west-to-east.

The nut graf: the map and the city's transport proposals matter to the district because they shape where and when housing grows and therefore affect school capacity, bus routes and drop-off safety. Kaiser noted the city is simultaneously pursuing a wastewater reuse project tied to stricter federal phosphorus limits; that work sits on lands the city owns south of town and affects where the bypass could be located.

Kaiser briefed trustees on the planning and permitting timeline: the Idaho Transportation Department (ITD) submitted a corridor study but the Federal Highway Administration's environmental lead position has been vacant at times, delaying the next formal recommendation. Kaiser said the project must clear a NEPA process that could take one to two years after federal recommendation; he added that, even in the best case, \"we're still looking at potentially three years before [the bypass] gets moved.\" He also described signal locations the ITD study would recommend, including a signal where Viking Avenue would meet South Sawtooth Lake Drive.

Board members asked whether the city intends to limit permits in areas where school capacity is already strained. Kaiser described the district's and city's limited tools: the city can place short-term moratoria on development only under narrow, state-defined circumstances and those moratoria are time-limited. He said the county and neighboring jurisdictions control many development approvals that affect the district. \"We can control our permits. We cannot control STAR,\" Kaiser said, referring to the nearby city.

Trustees and district staff discussed next steps for coordination. Kaiser said the city has attempted to schedule joint meetings with the county to discuss impact-area lines and infrastructure; those meetings have been postponed. District Superintendent Dr. Gee and board members said they want to remain engaged as the city proceeds and requested that ITD and the city provide updated signal and corridor recommendations when available.

Ending: Kaiser urged patience but recommended district planners and trustees track the ITD corridor recommendation and the NEPA schedule because the traffic solutions the city proposes (the couplet and extended Viking Avenue) are intended to ease drop-off and through-traffic but depend on federal approvals and city sewer planning.","A city representative briefed the Middleton School District board on an updated comprehensive plan and transportation map that includes a proposed one-way couplet and a multi-year timeline for the Southern Bypass, potentially affecting traffic around schools and the district's area of impact.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6273833,"Middleton board approves 2025-26 calendar, schedules building visits and advances policy updates",4906,3930000,8836000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2997374-641d3919c7eafa6a7dd12649380c52fc&start=3930&end=8836","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2997374-641d3919c7eafa6a7dd12649380c52fc/thumbnail_3930000.jpg","/articles/6273833/Idaho/Middleton-board-approves-2025-26-calendar-schedules-building-visits-and-advances-policy-updates","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6273833-6213992c304ba47d27c6560061e72a9c/orig.mp4?Expires=1770771951&Signature=T4ZvbTOiw5HMyhL4W8zyByo3X7CXA~KoUWwmpHKQfKOveJazembbtksw2u07AC0RxOB7J1d8TnT2YceAy~M0Ul6TUXTx~pcvW5Bhiersg9SuuXdogV0m5bboifUP3muu7JeybWBJ9jDkRF7ihWopNvX86MYLA6MOI6zWv08gvOco4YikLFrtHoXDZm0kSw2SXRCHa8y0t8QR6ZqT8VS4o173j-zWbQ~q90guWaIdmX3DgCRWfs1gsze1xW1phxF1Uj-MxL4D0UpQWhbpAyxluHqSkzDxy910xS7sXLV417vtrBSZwGz~Ch5f1bY3uu9dzTzsPj1rtd1t-VH-eXeX8Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Middleton School District Board of Trustees voted to approve the district calendar for the 2025-26 school year after district staff described the scheduling tradeoffs that led to a later August start and several days of instruction scheduled after Memorial Day.

Superintendent Dr. Gee and district staff told trustees that maintaining typical Christmas and spring breaks while shifting the start date required adding instructional days later in May: \"If you look at May on this calendar, we will be attending school on the 26th, 27th, 28th of May, which falls after Memorial Day,\" a district presenter said. The later start in August and the May attendance days allow the district to start the school year later for family convenience while still meeting state instructional-day requirements; staff said the calendar pattern is cyclical and will return to an earlier finish in the 2026-27 cycle.

Trustees also discussed graduation logistics. District staff said graduation scheduling at the Ford Center in Nampa is determined by that venue and Nampa schools; the high school administration and senior parents favored the Ford Center for space and weather protection. One trustee said she favored returning graduation to the district campus but acknowledged the board had been outvoted.

Nut graf: the approved calendar shifts start and end dates within multi-year cycles to balance instructional needs, family feedback and venue availability for large events. The board asked staff to publish the final calendar and to share the graduation date with families as soon as it is confirmed.

Board members asked staff to develop a schedule and protocols for trustee visits to school buildings. Trustees and staff agreed visits should emphasize classroom observation and staff interaction, not surprise walkthroughs that might unsettle teachers; district staff offered to coordinate dates and provide lists of professional-development days when trustees could observe instruction.

In policy work, trustees moved two policies to a second reading: the student wellness policy (Policy 30-68) and the out-of-state/overnight field-trip policy (Policy 34-70). The field-trip discussion included a recommendation to exempt short-distance, routinely scheduled out-of-state trips (for example, cross-border trips to nearby Oregon towns) from board approval by creating a fixed mileage boundary, and a request that annual extracurricular trip schedules be published in the consent agenda so trustees can see recurring travel without requiring board action for each routine trip.

The board also adopted a clarified foreign-exchange-student policy (Policy 30-90) that retains an April 1 application deadline for on-time applicants but allows the district to accept late applicants if the district has not reached its 1% enrollment cap; the policy notes late arrivals may not receive the full set of pre-arrival orientation activities.

Ending: the board asked staff to publish the approved calendar and to coordinate trustee school-visit dates with principals; staff said the public calendar and professional-development schedule will be posted once graduation date is finalized.","The Middleton School District board approved the 2025-26 school calendar, discussed a plan for trustees to visit school buildings during the year, and moved the student wellness and out-of-state/overnight field-trip policies to a second reading; the board also adopted a clarified foreign-exchange policy.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Middleton board approves donor-funded artificial turf fields; agreement requires proof of funds before work begins

Middleton planning maps propose new highway couplet, warn of multiyear timeline for Southern Bypass

Middleton board approves 2025-26 calendar, schedules building visits and advances policy updates