Education & Training

Elementary and Secondary Schools

The Independent School District of Boise City #1 is the city's public elementary and secondary school system.  The largest district in the state, it is administered by a seven-member, nonpartisan board of trustees that appoints a superintendent.  In 2004, the Boise School District received the Gold Medal Award presented by Expansion Management Magazine.  Factors weighed included graduation rates and college board scores; the community's financial commitment to its children's education; student-teacher ratios, per-pupil expenditures and teachers salaries; and level of affluence and adult education in the district.  The ranking places Boise School District in the upper 16 percent of all districts nationwide; Boise is the only district with this award in the state of Idaho.  The Boise School District boasts highly education teachers, fifty percent of whom have masters - more than double the state average.

The following is a summary of data regarding the Independent School District of Boise City #1 as of the 2001-2002 school year.

• Total enrollment:  25,883
• Number of facilities:
  • Elementary Schools:  34
  • Junior High Schools:  8
  • Senior High Schools:  5
  • Other:  2
• Student/teacher Ratio:  
  • Elementary:  23.25:1
  • Middle:  22.13:1
  • Senior:  22.1:1
• Teacher Salaries:
  • Minimum:  $27,501
  • Maximum:  $60,744
• Funding per Pupil:  Not Available

There are 22 private and parochial schools with a total enrollment of nearly about 3,100 students in the Boise area.

Public Schools Information:  Boise School District Public Information Specialist, 8169 W. Victory Rd., Boise ID  83709; telephone (208) 338-3400; fax (208) 338-3487

Colleges and Universities

Boise State University is the largest institution of higher learning in the state, with an enrollment of about 18,500 students.  The university offers more than 190 programs, including an accredited Master's degree program in business administration, a construction management program, and an engineering program.  The Simplot/Micron Technology Center, located on the university campus, has formed a partnership with the public and private sectors, designed to develop and present effective training programs.  The facility contains state-of-the-art computer systems and video and audio production studios.  Students in Boise may earn bachelors', masters' and doctoral degrees in civil, electrical, and mechanical engineering from the University of Idaho while attending classes on the Boise State campus, where the College of Technology has been in operation since 1990.  Boise State University and the Boise community began planning for a community college in 20204; the campus will be dispersed through the city and serve diverse populations.  The metropolitan area is also served by three private colleges:  Albertson College of Idaho in Caldwell, Northwest Nazarene University in Nampa, and Boise Bible College.

Libraries and Research Centers

The Boise Public Library traces its roots to February 18, 1895, when the women of the Columbian Club opened a subscription library and free reading room in City Hall.  For 10 years, the Club kept the reading room alive while helping to secure funds from Andrew Carnegie to construct a true public library.  Boise's Carnegie Public Library opened its doors at 815 W. Washington on June 22, 1905 and remained at that site until April 27, 1972, when it moved to its present location at 715 S. Capitol Blvd.

In 1965, the Bookmobile service was initiated to expand library service in the city and to reduce crowing in the Carnegie building.  Today, the Bookmobile makes weekly stops at six locations throughout Boise.

The Boise Public Library system now includes three neighborhood branch libraries:  Library! at Collister, Library! at Hillcrest and Library! at Cole & Ustick.  An additional library, the Library! at Bowen Crossing is planned for the near future.

The Boise Public Library launched a website in August of 1996, with the assistance of a government grant.  The library's website functions as a virtual branch, offering access to its online catalog, and providing patrons with the ability to locate information and read articles online.  The library subscribes to over 50 subscription databases, providing website access to articles from newspapers, magazines, professional journals and information resources.

The Idaho State Library contains more than 36,000 volumes; it also operates an extensive blind and physically handicapped service, providing more than 58,000 talking books as well as more than 5,000 large-print books. 

Boise State University's library holds more than 530,000 books and more than 6,000 newspaper and serial subscriptions. A number of smaller private, corporate, and special interest libraries are also located in the Boise metropolitan area. Research activities in such fields as technology, audio and video production, computers, and data processing are conducted at centers in the Boise area.