Future Moscow · For Middle School Staff & Families
The Middle School Transition
The Future Moscow plan asks more of Moscow Middle School than of any other building
in the district. Staff and students would move twice. This page explains what is
being asked, when, and why — without minimizing it.
What Is Being Asked
Moscow Middle School currently occupies 1410 E. D Street. Under the Future Moscow plan,
that building becomes the district’s high school campus — it is the single
largest project in Phase 1 and the primary reason for the November 2026 measure.
That means middle school staff and students would move to 402 E. 5th Street,
the current Moscow High School building, once the conversion is complete and both buildings
are ready to support their students. The middle school would operate
there while a new, purpose-built middle school is planned and constructed at Oylear Field.
When that building is complete, the middle school would move into it.
Through construction
1410 E. D Street
Current Moscow Middle School. Staff and students remain here throughout construction — no interim displacement, no portables.
→
After the conversion
402 E. 5th Street
The current high school building — 121,700 square feet, originally designed for approximately 800 students. Middle school enrollment is roughly 600.
This is a real ask, and we want to be straightforward about it.
Moving a school is disruptive. Staff pack classrooms, rebuild routines, and learn a new
building. Families adjust to a new address and new traffic patterns. The plan asks middle
school staff to do this knowing that a second move — to a new building — may
follow. The sections below explain the reasoning behind the sequence.
Why the Middle School and Not Another Building
The question staff reasonably ask is: why does the middle school absorb the disruption?
The answer is about the buildings themselves, not about priorities among students.
1410 E. D Street is the better high school buildingIt is newer, larger, and sits on a site that can accommodate the additions a comprehensive high school needs — a performing arts center, career technical education spaces, expanded commons, and athletics facilities. Converting it costs $55 million. Building a comparable new high school would cost an estimated $110 to $120 million, and would still require finding and purchasing a site.
402 E. 5th Street can serve as a middle schoolAt 121,700 square feet and designed for roughly 800 students, it accommodates a middle school enrollment near 600. It is a permanent school building with a gymnasium, cafeteria, library, and specialized classroom spaces.
One project addresses both buildingsWithout the conversion, the high school remains in its current building and the middle school building would still require renovation at a later date. The swap addresses both in a single project.
The Path to a New Middle School
The move to 402 E. 5th Street is intended as a bridge, not a destination. A new
purpose-built middle school at district-owned Oylear Field is the next phase of the
Future Moscow plan.
⚠
Phase 2 requires its own voter approval. The new middle school is
not part of the November 3, 2026 measure. It would require a separate
Plant Facility Levy election in the future. We cannot promise a date, and we will
not pretend otherwise. What we can say is that the design work is substantially
complete and the site is district-owned and reserved for this purpose.
See the Future Middle School plans →
If Phase 2 is approved by voters after the Phase 1 levy retires, the new middle school
could be complete roughly two years after that vote. The interim period at 402 E. 5th
Street would be measured in years, not decades — but the length depends entirely
on a future election that has not yet been scheduled.
Our Commitments to Middle School Staff
If voters approve the levy, the district commits to the following:
No move until we are ready to support both high school and middle school students. Middle school staff and students remain at 1410 E. D Street throughout construction. The move happens only when the converted campus is completed enought to support high school students, the high school has vacated 402 E. 5th Street, and that building is prepared to receive middle school students.
Staff involvement in transition planning. Middle school staff will be included in planning the move — classroom assignments, storage, moving logistics, and schedule adjustments — rather than being handed a finished plan.
Dedicated moving support. The district will fund professional moving services and provide paid time for classroom packing and setup. Staff will not be asked to move their own classrooms on personal time.
Investment in the interim building. 402 E. 5th Street will receive the maintenance and configuration work needed to function well as a middle school — not left as-is on the theory that it is temporary.
Middle school voice in the new building design. Staff who teach in the interim building will help shape the new middle school at Oylear Field. The people doing the work know what the building needs.
Straight communication throughout. Timelines will change — construction projects always do. When they do, staff will hear it from the district first, not from rumor or the newspaper.
Questions Staff Have Asked
Will middle school positions be cut or reassigned because of the move?
No. This is a facilities plan, not a staffing plan. Moving buildings does not change enrollment, program offerings, or staffing needs. Middle school staff move with the middle school.
How long will we be at 402 E. 5th Street?
That depends on when — and whether — voters approve a Phase 2 levy for the new middle school. The district cannot commit to a date for an election that has not been called. What we can commit to is that the district considers the interim period exactly that, and that Phase 2 remains the plan.
Will we have to move twice?
If Phase 2 is approved and the new middle school is built, yes — once to 402 E. 5th Street in 2031, and once to Oylear Field when the new building opens. We recognize that asking staff to move twice is a significant request, which is why the commitments above focus on making both moves as well-supported as possible.
What happens to 402 E. 5th Street after the middle school leaves?
Once the middle school moves to a new building, 402 E. 5th Street would be vacated and offered for sale. Proceeds would return to the district. No decisions have been made about the property, and any sale would go through the Board’s public process.
What if the levy fails?
The middle school remains at 1410 E. D Street and the high school remains at 402 E. 5th Street. No moves occur, and the facility conditions described on this site remain unchanged.
Who do I talk to with concerns?
Superintendent Shawn Tiegs directly, at stiegs@msd281.org or 208-892-1139. Staff concerns about this transition are legitimate and the district would rather hear them early than late.
Where This Fits in the Timeline
November 3, 2026
Plant Facility Levy Election
If approved, the plan proceeds. If not, no moves occur.
2027 – 2031
Conversion Construction at 1410 E. D Street
Middle school staff and students remain in the building throughout construction. Work is phased to keep the school operational.
2027 – 2031
The Move
When the conversion is complete, high school students move into the converted East Campus and middle school staff and students move to 402 E. 5th Street. Both moves happen in the same summer.
Future — requires Phase 2 voter approval
New Middle School at Oylear Field
If a Phase 2 levy is approved, design and construction of the new middle school would follow, with the middle school moving into it upon completion.
The following information is required by Section 34-914, Idaho Code:
The estimated average annual cost to the taxpayer on the proposed levy is a tax of $280 per $100,000 of taxable assessed value, per year, based on current conditions.