After East Valley Middle School opened in 2003, the student population in the three middle schools of the Nampa School District continued to grow and it became evident that another middle school would be needed very soon. As the district began the process of designing a new middle school on district-owned property, the district administration was approached by the owners of 20 acres on the corner of Middleton Road and Lone Star Road. They asked if the district was interested in purchasing their property for a school. This property was contiguous to property that the district already owned, so it was determined that 30 acres on the corner would be the site for the middle school. Since this site was near the site of the original Lone Star School, it was determined the name should be Lone Star Middle School. The long-time residents of the area agreed and our Board of Trustees approved the name, allowing the newest middle school in the Nampa School District to open in August, 2008.
Photo of school taken during the beginning phase of construction.
At the dedication ceremony on August 20th, 2008, Jim & Jack Zarybnisky shared the following story of the land and sycamore tree where Lone StarMiddle School is currently located.
My name is Jim Zarybnisky and this is my brother Jack. We grew up in a house on this area where the school now stands. This land was bought from the United States Government December 19, 1891 by Marcus F. Whitman for $16 per acre. In 1925 our grandparents, Josef and Antonio Zarybnisky, who had emigrated from Czechoslovakia bought the land and house. Our father was 16 years old at the time. In 1952 our parents, Joe and Marguerite Zarybnisky, bought the 20 acres and house from Josef. I was 9 years old and Jack was 5. Our dad passed away in 1986 but our mother continued to live here by herself until 2004. She was 89 when she finally moved to Emmett.
In 2006 she sold the land to the Nampa School District. One of her requests on selling the land was that hopefully the sycamore tree could be saved. The tree was planted between 1905 to 1907. So it is over 100 years old. I remember my father saying that when they moved here and he was 16, he could put his arms completely around the tree. Jack and I with the help of our dad built a large tree house in the tree. We spent many nights sleeping in the tree house.
Our mother passed away in March of this year. Whenever we drove by during construction of the school she was always delighted to see the tree still standing.
On behalf of Jack, myself and especially our mother thanks for saving the tree.
lonestarmiddle 