Don’t let the title fool you. I am not picking on our school district. I am just having a little fun with subject matter that, let’s face it, many consider a little dry.
On tap tonight at the SVSD District Office at 6PM is an important Special Meeting of the School Board. This meeting caps off the last of a four-part presentation series regarding the potential Snoqualmie Middle School Annexation to Mount Si High School. For those needing a little catching up, because the SVSD school bond to build a new middle school failed last year, SVSD does not have the capital funds to replace SMS with a new school. District administration still want to proceed with the annexation of the current SMS to Mount Si High School as a freshman campus. To continue with this plan, students currently attending SMS will be relocated to either the outer edges of North Bend where Twin Falls Middle School sits or down to Fall City to Chief Kanim Middle School. The proposed change would impact roughly 500 Snoqualmie students in 2013.
This final meeting is basically all the “nuts and bolts.” Meaning, where do we get the funds for new portables and extra busing, etc? The meeting’s title/description per the SVSD website reads, “Additional considerations -funding for portables, transportation, delivery of student services, cost implications, timing of future elections, etc.”
The agenda for the meeting came out this morning. It reads as follows:
1.0 Call to Order
2.0 Purpose of Special Meeting -Educational Program and Facilities Planning
3.0 Overview of Agenda
4.0 Background
5.0 Additional Considerations
6.0 Educational Programming
7.0 Conclusion/Next Steps
8.0 Adjourn
The agenda is a little vague compared to previous school board meeting agendas so I will give you an overview, or my version of “Let’s Decipher the Agenda,” to get an idea of when the big conversations will happen.
5.0 Additional Considerations: This is when the administration will tell the board how it will fund this new educational move. Included will be portable funding. Roughly 14 portable classrooms are needed at TFMS and CKMS to accommodate Snoqualmie students. When 12 such classrooms were installed at MSHS in 2009 they cost roughly $3 million. Also included will be transportation costs. New, extended routes will be needed to get Snoqualmie kids to North Bend and Fall City. There could be discussion about the additional staff needed at CKMS and TFMS – janitorial and kitchen staff for example.
6.0 Educational Programming: This is most likely when the administration will present the board with the possible expanded exploratory programming at bigger middle schools. Will we be able to offer foreign language again at our middle schools, etc? Also, 9th grade campus programming might be discussed. Will we be able to continue offering foreign language and advanced math on a separate 9th grade campus? This question will probably be answered. I am guessing this topic will be intense, informational and long.
7.0 Conclusion/Next Steps: Discussion here by the board could include a vote date on whether to proceed with the annexation. Will they vote on March 8th or do they need more time? There may be discussion about public input. Will there be a special public comment meeting before the important vote date? March 5th is the cutoff date for public comment. There could be also be important discussion on the timing of a future school bond to replace Snoqualmie Middle School, make needed building repairs district-wide, etc.
This should be an important informational meeting. The special school board meeting begins at 6PM and is scheduled to end at 8:30PM. The location is the District Office located at 8001 Silva Ave in Historic Snoqualmie.
