At a Snoqualmie Valley School Board Work Session scheduled for 5:30PM today, December 13th, Matt Rumbaugh and Greg Stack of Seattle NAC Architecture will do the second part of a progress report on the feasibility of a Mount Si High School expansion and modernization. School board work sessions are open to the public, but public comment is usually not allowed.
As the school board works toward deciding what a possible 2013 SVSD school bond will contain, the district hired the architecture firm to perform an in-depth feasibility report exploring the expansion options at Mount Si. Along the way, the firm is doing progress updates on that feasibility report. The final report should be finished by January.
The school board requested the study be done after it collectively (4 out of 5 board members) indicated their preference for a comprehensive high school containing grades 9 – 12, which would mean the district’s Freshman Campus, scheduled to open next fall, would only be temporarily housed at Snoqualmie Middle School (SMS). If the SMS Freshman Campus location is to be temporary, Mount Si would need an expansion to accommodate 9th graders. A school bond would also need to be run and passed to fund any potential work on Mount Si – if the study shows it is feasible.
Additionally, district administration asked the school board to consider placing a 6th elementary school on the next bond. According to administrators, increasing elementary enrollment in the growing Snoqualmie Valley, coupled with additional needed classroom space as Washington State prepares to make full-day kindergarten mandatory in 2016, creates the need for another SVSD elementary school.
Based on NAC’s previous November 8th feasibility presentation, it is believed tonight’s progress update will revolve around Mount Si’s maximum buildable area and student capacity and will possibly provide some options for the school board’s consideration.
During their November 8th presentation to the board, NAC architects discussed Mount Si’s existing capacity and space utilization; the required school area based on increased student population; zoning code limitation; and analyzed floodway limitations.
Tonight’s work session starts at 5:30PM, preceding the regular school board meeting which begins at 6:30PM in the Snoqualmie City Hall council chambers.
