Trustee Frustrations Over Lobbying, Training Drive Decision
The Kuna School Board voted last week to end its contract with the Idaho School Boards Association, making the district one of only three in the state to operate without the organization’s services.
The vote passed 3-2. Trustee Hillary Lowe led the push to cut ties, citing concerns about the quality of ISBA’s board trainings, its lobbying positions at the Legislature, and the process the organization used to help Kuna find its next superintendent.
Before the vote, only two of Idaho’s 115 school districts, Pleasant Valley and Lakeland, had declined to contract with ISBA. The Kuna board’s $12,000 annual contract was not a major point of dispute. The real disagreement was over what the organization does with its influence in Boise.
Lobbying Direction at the Heart of the Dispute
ISBA represents school districts across Idaho, provides governance training, offers legal and leadership support, and advocates on education policy based on resolutions adopted annually by member trustees. During the 2026 legislative session, ISBA Deputy Director Quinn Perry pushed for increased special education funding and opposed private school tax credits.
Board Chair Michael Thornton and Trustee JD Grant wanted to keep the contract, arguing that ISBA gives public education a voice at the Statehouse.
“The way public education is perceived, currently, I think it’s important that we have a seat at the table,” Thornton said.
Lowe disagreed that ISBA represented the seat she was looking for. She said she believed many school board members and community members take issue with the direction ISBA-backed legislation has taken. Trustee Kyrsti Bruce, whose husband serves in the Idaho House representing District 23, added that ISBA-supported legislation has not shown much impact at the Legislature.
Grant asked the board to table the vote for another month. Lowe pushed forward with the motion anyway, and it carried 3-2.
Training and Superintendent Search Also Questioned
Beyond lobbying, Lowe and Trustee Freddy Wheeler said they found little value in ISBA’s board training sessions. Both described a recent training as a poor use of time.
“I haven’t found a lot of value in the training we’ve received,” Lowe said.
Lowe also noted that the board relies on Boise attorney Jill Holinka of Holinka Law for policy work, not ISBA’s legal counsel. Kuna district spokesperson Allison Westfall confirmed that arrangement.
ISBA also conducted Kuna’s recent superintendent search, which resulted in the board selecting Marcus Myers, a West Ada administrator, for the role. Wheeler said he was satisfied with the outcome but described the search process itself as “clunky and awkward.”
ISBA Responds with Disappointment
ISBA Executive Director Misty Swanson was present at the meeting and answered questions from trustees, though she was not given time to address the board directly. After the vote, ISBA released a statement expressing disappointment and noting the district’s apparent resistance to guidance from the organization’s legal staff.
The outcome reflects a broader tension playing out in Idaho school board politics, where elected trustees are increasingly scrutinizing the organizations and agreements that have long operated in the background of district governance. Lowe herself drew attention last year when she proposed eliminating the district’s in-house transportation department in favor of an outside contractor, a move that faced strong opposition from district employees and was ultimately rejected at a meeting she did not attend.
For now, Kuna joins a small group of Idaho districts choosing to chart their own course outside of ISBA’s umbrella, relying on independent legal counsel and forgoing the association’s lobbying presence at the Capitol.
Readers interested in other Idaho education and election developments can follow coverage of Idaho’s most expensive primary race, Guthrie vs. Worley, and learn more about voting with confidence this May.
