About Foothills School
Our History
Foothills School of Arts & Sciences was founded in 1992 by Susan and John Medlin to provide an alternative learning environment for Boise children. Foothills School was the first non-sectarian independent PreK-9th grade school in the city. The doors opened to 12 students with one full-time teacher, one paid aide, two volunteers who joined the school over the course of the first year, and a large black and white cat named Clyde. Over the next few years, the school continued to grow in students and faculty. In 1995, through the generous contributions of parents and two significant grants, the school raised $90,000 to move to its current location at 618 South 8th Street, in the heart of the cultural district in downtown Boise. In 1998, a commitment was made to begin a pilot program called the Early Learners for children ages 3 to 5. The J. A. and Kathryn Albertson Foundation provided a $208,000 grant to create an Early Childhood Learning Center and Laboratory School, based on research the Early Learners faculty had done on the schools of Reggio Emilia, Italy. Together, our community of committed teachers, administrators, Board members and parents continue to take on the challenges of educating our children for the future.
© 2009 Foothills School of Arts & Sciences. All Rights Reserved
Accreditation
The Pacific Northwest Association of Independent Schools (PNAIS) is a voluntary membership organization that promotes a high standard of educational quality for its member schools. Foothills School first became an accredited member of PNAIS in 1999. In Spring 2009, the Board of Trustees elected to move to a Candidate Membership in PNAIS to provide for additional time for school growth and improvement before entering the re-accreditation process. The school continues to maintain the high standards of PNAIS and is active in the programs and assessments that assure programmatic integrity.
Our School Today
Foothills School continues to have its home in downtown Boise with access to the city's rich park and river system, museums, cultural and arts organizations, and business districts. To enhance the education of our 150 enrolled students, Foothills takes advantage of its location to provide educational offerings that are truly unique and authentic. With student-teacher ratios of 9:1 and a highly engaged parent community, Foothills K-9th grade students experience a "lunch out" program each month at the wide variety of restaurants available in the downtown area; the school community is a regular participant with community partners - including The Cabin, The Boise Art Museum, Boise State University, the Idaho Historical Museum, Shakespeare, Zoo Boise, and many others - through field trip experiences and off-site project work. Foothills has also innovated a school wide electives program called CHOICE for K-9th grade students, which encourages students to find their passions through exposure to scientific exploration, outdoor education, health and wellness activities, and the arts. These educational opportunities align with the school's philosophy to provide a differentiated education for every child. At Foothills, we understand that every learner is different, and we keep our community small so that the potential of every child can be realized academically, socially and personally every day.
