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Nonprofit Bloom pitches two charter schools for Kuna, says developer offered land donation
Summary
Bloom, an education nonprofit, presented plans to partner with local developers and national charter networks to open two public charter schools near Kuna in coming years, with openings targeted two to three years out and phased growth over a decade.
Terry Ryan, CEO of the education nonprofit Bloom, and Keith Donahue, Bloom’s director of school strategy, told the Kuna City Council they are exploring opening two public charter schools in the Kuna area and are working with a local developer that has offered to donate land for a campus.
Bloom said the group has invested in school development across Idaho for about 12 years, has managed federal Charter Schools Program grants, and has helped open dozens of schools statewide. “School choice helps families, children, educators, achieve more and do better,” Ryan said.
The presentation said two charter networks in Bloom’s portfolio are interested in locating in Kuna if the partnership and demand studies support it. Donahue said Sage International would plan a K–8 school “with about 465 students” and GEM Prep a K–12 “closer to 574 students,” with openings planned “two, maybe even three years” from now if the project proceeds. Both schools would grow in phases over five to seven years to reach full capacity, Bloom said.
Donahue said Bloom is conducting demand and planning work with consultants, including Eschbacher Consulting, and cited district metrics showing “one school-age child for every two homes” as a rough indicator of future need. He said Bloom’s work relies on a mix of foundation investment, donated land or materials, and federal grants; Ryan noted the organization has managed two federal grants worth roughly $22 million and another for about $24 million for charter development in Idaho.
Council members asked about enrollment processes. Donahue said the schools would be public charter schools and would enroll by lottery, with priority given to students in a defined attendance zone, returning students, siblings after year one and children of staff. The council did not take action; Bloom asked only for an opportunity to present and to continue planning with local partners.
Bloom and its presenters declined to provide a development timeline beyond the multi‑year planning horizon and said funding and facility phasing would depend on partner and community decisions.
