Kuna trustees approve sale of former gym to City of Kuna with $500,000 at closing and district priority use

The Kuna Joint School District Board of Trustees voted to approve a revised purchase agreement with the City of Kuna to sell the district's former gym and adjoining office property.

Under the motion the district will receive the appraised value of the property, $1.67 million; the stated purchase price is $1.8 million, with the $130,000 difference applied to closing costs. The city will pay $500,000 at closing and the remainder when it provides a firm vacate date (the agreement frames that as roughly 60'to'90 days before the district must vacate). The motion also added explicit language that the Kuna School District will retain priority use of the gym space after the sale.

Why it matters: the parcel has long served both school and community uses. Trustees said they weighed the financial return and the district's ongoing need for temporary office and storage solutions during any transition. Several members pressed staff for clarity on where district functions and stored materials would go while a new district facility is planned.

Board discussion focused on timing and cash flow. One trustee expressed concern that receiving the majority of funds only after the city issues a vacate notice could complicate the district's ability to begin construction or relocation: "It would benefit us to get out faster than 90 days," a trustee said while explaining concerns about up-front construction costs and storage. Staff responded that the $500,000 upfront payment would soften the cash-flow issue but acknowledged additional planning would be required to bridge the gap until the remainder is due.

The motion as read to the board included detailed sale terms: monthly rental language for portions of the building, allocation of closing costs and a clause specifying district priority for gym scheduling. The board approved the revised agreement by motion and second; the item will next be placed on the City of Kuna's council agenda for final action by the city.

What happens next: staff said they will follow up with the mayor and city staff to place the item on the city council docket and will return to the board with implementation details about temporary office or storage space, contingency plans for servers, and a timeline for construction bidding and approvals.