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December 13, 2024
The Citizens' Advisory (FOCUS) Committee Presented Recommendations to the School Board
The Enumclaw School District (ESD) Board of Directors received a comprehensive presentation from the Facilities Oversight for Capital Utilization and Sustainability (FOCUS) Committee at their November 18, 2024 meeting. After almost a full year of research and meetings, the committee presented its findings and recommendations to address the district’s pressing facility and enrollment needs.
Formed in February 2024, the citizens’ committee was charged with the following:
To learn about the work to date on Enumclaw School District’s long-term capital facilities plan, including planning criteria (class size, grade configuration, school size, etc.), inventory of current educational space, building standards, student enrollment growth projections, school building condition analysis and financial (debt) capacity.
To recommend a long-term capital facilities plan that meets student capacity needs and supports the goals of our strategic plan.
To provide a forum for the community to give input on a long-range capital facilities plan.
To ensure that the recommendation reflects community values and priorities.
To recommend to the school board a long-term capital facilities plan, including a scope and dollar amount for a future capital bond or levy measure for the construction and/or modernization of school facilities.
The FOCUS Committee met 13 times to study district needs and discuss viable solutions. Committee members Cathy Dahlquist and Sarah Tolbert led the board and audience through the committee’s presentation. They detailed the committee’s educational process, which included presentations from Davis Demographics, Piper Sandler (financial services), the Birth-to-Five Center, the Boundary Line Adjustment Subcommittee, and the district Facilities, Operations and Athletics Director.
Their presentation also provided a detailed summary of ESD’s facility needs and growth projections. Highlights from their presentation slides include:
Six out of nine district schools are over 40 years old, with four at the end of their lifespan that will require replacement and two approaching critical systems replacement status.
A projected 22% increase in student population over the next five years and a 36.6% increase over the next decade, driven by 18 active or planned housing developments in the area.
Black Diamond and Kibler are currently at capacity. Westwood is near capacity with current BD kids attending. This site will likely need portables by 2026. Southwood and Sunrise currently have some capacity.
Both middle schools are currently very near capacity. Thunder Mountain will require portables by 2027.
The current high school with existing portables on site could accommodate the projected growth for the next 10 years.
Dahlquist and Tolbert outlined the committee’s recommendations:
General Maintenance Capital Levy: The committee is recommending a capital levy to address critical maintenance and secure building access as soon as possible and prior to the next bond measure.
Addressing Aging Buildings: The FOCUS Committee recommends:
the Enumclaw School Board shift from the current model of small neighborhood schools to construct a larger, more flexible, and accommodating facility.
a Bond to develop a larger facility to replace Byron Kibler and Southwood no sooner than the spring of 2026.
Board President Fisher expressed gratitude to the committee for their dedication and thorough analysis. “I know there was a lot of hard work, and we certainly appreciate it,” he said.
Superintendent Shaun Carey and President Fisher concluded the meeting by presenting certificates and gifts of appreciation to the committee members, acknowledging their months of hard work and dedication. The school board will review and use the recommendations to inform future decisions related to our facilities.
View the full presentation to the board here: https://www.cityofenumclaw.net/CivicMedia?VID=441
View the Facilities Oversight for Capital Utilization and Sustainability (FOCUS) Committee’s full recommendation report here: https://core-docs.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/documents/asset/uploaded_file/2730/ESD/5091520/ESD_FOCUS_Committee_Report_2024.pdf
Dear Enumclaw School District Families,
The 2024-25 school year is off to a wonderful start and has been full of celebrations and incredible learning. As the weather begins to change, we may need to implement our traditional “snow day” and delays when weather conditions make it unsafe to operate on our normal school schedules. It is always our goal NOT to extend the school year further into the summer months with “snow days,” however, student and staff safety is our top priority. The information below will explain how we plan to make decisions to delay or cancel school days and how you can access and receive notifications about this information.
Around 3:30 AM on weather-impacted days, Transportation Supervisor Kami Clark, Director of Facilities, Operations and Athletics Phil Engebretsen, Director of Business Kyle Fletcher, and I will be out assessing road conditions. We will each drive a different part of our school district.
We gather together with information from our traveled routes and then determine what our transportation options will allow as far as a school day is concerned. Of the many factors that are considered, we evaluate road conditions for buses and staff/student drivers, amount of snow or ice, outside temperatures, weather forecast, and changing weather conditions. It is not uncommon to have delays in the early winter with little snow if the temperature is below freezing and not expected to rise much above freezing during the day. We find that road conditions for our buses are quite treacherous in these icy conditions. In late winter, the converse could be true. We could have several inches of wet snow, but the temperature is above freezing, making roads passable. We make the very best decision each time we are faced with winter weather conditions.
The key factor when deciding on whether we can have school on a regular schedule or a late start is if our buses can travel our emergency routes. Often this is just what we need to do in order to operate school. There are times we need to extend the emergency routes in a few locations. When this occurs, our drivers call families. Again, I am especially grateful to these families for their partnership and flexibility.
Our goal for determining school delay or closure status is typically no later than 6:00 AM.
http://flashalert.net: You can go to this website and sign up to have any school delay or closure alert come to your email address. You will receive this information as soon as I officially push the button on my computer!
We will place the delay or closure announcement on our district website at www.enumclaw.wednet.edu and our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/enumclawschooldistrict. If our district is running emergency bus routes, you can find this information on our website and Facebook as well.
Each family will receive a phone call and text via Thrillshare around 5:30/6:00 AM if a decision has been reached regarding a delay or school closure. As mentioned earlier, sometimes the weather conditions shift after 6:00 AM, and therefore a decision will be made at the earliest time possible.
Radio and television stations will receive our information as soon as I push the button on my computer. They are tracking many school districts and a few times have reported information different from what we have decided. Please use one of the above sources if you receive contradictory information.
Dr. Shaun V. Carey
Superintendenthttps://www.enumclaw.wednet.edu/o/esd/page/emergency-information
Please check out our Winter Weather Bulletin for emergency bus routes and school delay/closure communication information below. (Click images to expand view)
December 16: School Board Meeting, District Office at 6:30 PM
December 23-January 3: No School-Winter Break
EHS Career Center Field Trips:
January 21st - Renton Technical College
Dates TBD - Green River College, Bates Technical College, Clover Park Technical College, Boeing, Showare Career Fair, and Women in Trade Career Fair.View all district events on our website
Winter Break: December 23 - January 3
REMINDER: Schools in the Enumclaw School District are closed Monday, December 23, 2024 - Friday, January 3, 2025. The District Office will be closed December 24 - 26, and 31, 2024, and January 1, 2025.
Enumclaw School District is hiring!
Current openings include Substitute Drivers and Custodians.
For more information on current openings or to submit an online application, please visit our website at https://enumclawjobs.hrmplus.net/
PASSED: Minutes, Consent Agenda, Payroll and Vouchers
Presentations:
Our next Regular Board Meeting is Monday, December 16, 2024.
You will find the Agenda posted 48 hours prior to the meeting on our School Board web page.
Enumclaw Schools Foundation (ESF) strives to bridge the gap between the funds the state provides for basic education and the funds needed to provide students with the education they need for a successful future.
For more information about ESF, click the blue button below.
The Washington State Department of Health: Safety Study Hall
Visit the Safety Study Hall website, a place for schools,
students, and families to learn about safety topics.
Enumclaw School District Statement of Non-Discrimination
Enumclaw School District does not discriminate in any programs or activities on the basis of sex, race, color, religion, creed, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, disability, the use of a trained dog guide or service animal, age, and honorably discharged veteran or military status. The following employees have been designated to handle questions and complaints of alleged discrimination:
Title IX/Chapter 28A.640 RCW Officer
Civil Rights Compliance Coordinator
Stephanie Berryhill
2929 McDougall Ave.
Enumclaw, WA 98022
360.802.7113
stephanie_berryhill@enumclaw.wednet.edu
Section 504/ADA Coordinator
Carolyne Zieske
2929 McDougall Ave.
Enumclaw, WA 98022
360.802.7104
carolyne_zieske@enumclaw.wednet.edu
