The (Jan. 27) letter from Tobi Ellis concerning Lake Washington School District ballot measures contains inaccuracies as well as questions that I would like to address here. The largest portion of the LWSD bond authorization will be used to modernize Juanita High School. Juanita High is the oldest of the four comprehensive high schools in the district and is well below the standard of the other high school buildings. By modernizing this building now, substantial savings will be realized because of an extremely competitive construction bidding environment. This is an economic advantage for the community over the long term.
The rest of the bond measure addresses projected growth. The district has a choice in how it approaches these needs. We can either by build four elementary schools and keep schools configured the same way, or build two elementary schools while expanding our high schools and changing grade configuration. This grade configuration change to K-5, 6-8, 9-12 would create additional space in the elementary schools while at the same time align Lake Washington School District with the configuration of most high schools in the country. In either case, the costs are about the same. The need for space is the driving factor, not grade configuration.
That said, the district and school board have been studying school configuration options for almost two years. Input has been sought extensively from parents and teachers and there has been overwhelming support for a change to four-year high schools. Last spring, a random sample survey of parents was conducted with more than 70 percent supporting a configuration change. Public meetings were held regarding the ballot measures including the question of changing grade configuration. A similarly overwhelming majority of citizens who provided input in person or on the Web supported a grade configuration change. Dr. Kimball has been meeting with all school staffs last spring and this fall to discuss this topic with teachers. Concerns have been voiced and considered. Support has been provided, along with ideas and excitement. A grade configuration change is a strategy well supported by the public and the district’s teaching staff.
The most important reason for the change is the issue of ninth grade. Colleges begin counting grades and credits in ninth grade and students are considered high school freshman. Students have a difficult time making this connection if they are in a junior high school, even though they are accruing high school credit. Changing grade configuration helps student better make this connection and realize how important their ninth grade work really is. The discussion of grade configuration has never focused on sports as suggested in the letter.
Yes, moving to a different grade configuration will mean working with teachers to determine what options some teachers with specific credentials will have under the new configuration. It may mean helping some teachers with their credentials. It will also mean making adjustments to the new system, for parents and teachers, which requires work and cooperation like any major change. And this change will be taking place at a time when money is tighter than ever.
This is also the time when we need to make sure that every student has an opportunity to succeed in school and go to college should they choose to. As a school district, we look at all possible options to conserve precious public resources. Other changes will need to be made to maximize our space including boundary adjustments as suggested in the letter. But in the end, the 2010 LWSD bond would purchase more space for students. Without that additional space, we expect substantially more portables, loss of classroom spaces for art, science, and computers labs, and other painful solutions to accommodate growth.
Last and most importantly is the issue of cost. Two of the measures on the ballot are renewal levies. The bond measure will be a new cost to the taxpayer. This bond measure will pay for six projects including three new schools and a modernized Juanita High. The increased cost for the average taxpayer is approximately $170 in 2011. This amount is based upon a $517,000 house at .33 per $1000 of assessed valuation.
These are challenging economic times. The Lake Washington School District is committed to making sure that tax dollars are used productively to educate our community’s students. I encourage any voter who wants more information on these measures to visit www.lwsd.org or send specific questions to me at kreith@lwsd.org.
Kathryn Reith, communications director, LWSD
Kathryn Reith, communications director, LWSD
