Legislative effort could help South Bend

Chauncey Davis Elementary, 1951.  South Bend School District, Pacific County

About 10 years ago SB voters passed an approximate $1.7 million dollar bond that renovated South Bend High School and provided some minor improvements to Chauncey Davis Elementary classrooms.  Voters passed the bond by a (just under) 75% YES vote.  When this bond is paid off in 2020, Chauncey Davis Elementary will be nearly 70 years old--built in 1951.

South Bend School District has done an incredible job maintaining this building, but the bones are old.  The building age, the wearing infrastructure, and the fact it sits under the floodplain spell out the need for a new building.

Chauncey Davis boiler room flooding during the January 2015 flood

State Law Prevents Construction of New Elementary School

Even if voters wanted to approve a bond to construct a new elementary school, they couldn't.  RCW 39.36.020 limits the amount of debt a school district can hold to 5% of total assessed values.  For South Bend, this amount would cover just over half the costs of a new building needed for 324+ students in grades K-6.  As an additional problem, state matching funds are not enough to bridge the gap.

We are not alone, this is a common problem in many small, rural communities with low property values.

Seeking a Solution

I believe voters should at least be afforded the option of deciding to build a school for their community's children.  So, I have been working with legislative staff in Olympia in an attempt to better understand our situation.  This process, in conjunction with other capital budget work, has led to a bill introduced this legislative session sponsored by Senators Honeyford (15th dist) and Frockt (46th dist).  SB 5453 would establish "school construction assistance grants for small, rural school districts."

Senator Takko, Rep. Blake & Rep. Walsh work together to help

When I heard SB 5453 was introduced in the senate, I contacted Rep. Blake and Rep. Walsh to ask if they would draft a companion bill in the house.  Understanding the importance of this need for many small/rural schools, they immediately moved to draft a bill.  Last week, HB 1923 was introduced in the house by Rep. Blake, Rep. Walsh, and Rep. Kirby of the 29th district.  Sen. Takko is also communicating the importance of this bill in the senate.  Both bills have bipartisan support.

What can the public do?

These bills could prove to have beneficial impact for small, rural school districts with less than 1,000 students.  Certainly, if these bills came to fruition, South Bend could benefit greatly.  But so could many other small districts.  In our case, a grant through this program would be the only way our community could replace our 70 year old building.

When citizens have civic concerns, we have the ability to contact our elected representatives.  For those interested, a short list of legislators with interest in these bills is provided below:

Senator Jim Honeyford (R):  Jim.Honeyford@leg.wa.gov
Senator David Frockt (D):  David.Frockt@leg.wa.gov
Senator Dean Takko (D):  Dean.Takko@leg.wa.gov

Rep. Steve Tharinger (D):  Steve.Tharinger@leg.wa.gov
Rep. Richard DeBolt (R):  Richard.DeBolt@leg.wa.gov
Rep. Brian Blake (D):  Brian.Blake@leg.wa.gov
Rep. Jim Walsh (R):  Jim.Walsh@leg.wa.gov
Rep. Steve Kirby (D):  Steve.Kirby@leg.wa.gov

Legislators value constituent input and ideas.  As we teach our students, it is important for us to express our viewpoints to our government officials and elected representatives.



Anyone with questions, comments, or ideas concerning this article, or anything related to South Bend School District can contact Jon Tienhaara, superintendent, at jtienhaa@southbendschools.org

Library Maker Space in full swing

 One of the new and innovative programs at South Bend School District is the Maker Space initiative, available to students K-12.  If you have students who attend our schools, especially elementary and middle school students, you probably have heard them talk about what they are "making" in the library...

So what exactly is a Maker Space? 

To put it simply, "It's a place in our library where students can work either alone or in groups to create, problem solve, and learn," says Lori Dearmore, teacher-librarian for the district.  "Materials and tools are provided for our students in an informal setting where creativity and collaboration are encouraged."

Creativity. Collaboration.  

It's no wonder this is one of the most popular student programs developing in South Bend.  And, why wouldn't it be?  A place where students get to explore their individual interests and actually "make" stuff, tinker with robotics and electric circuits, use the 3D printer, or learn to crochet...among many other opportunities.  "Currently, we have Ozobots, Dot and Dash robots, 3D pens, a 3D printer, soldering and wood burning, a snap circuit board, paper circuits, electric sewing, Legos, K'Nex, Perler beads, origami, Duct tape projects, knitting and crocheting as well as other crafts," explains Mrs. Dearmore.  "The students love the makerspace! They are eager to tinker and try new things while working together to create."

Recently, South Bend High School sponsored a Maker Space Open House, where students and parents came together to learn about being a "maker" and demonstrate what students have been making this school year.  Parents and students made things together, won prizes, and listened to a keynote talk on Maker Space from Mrs. Dearmore.

In her second year at South Bend after coming to us from the Naselle School District, Mrs. Dearmore is the only teacher-librarian in Pacific County.  With an extensive background in classroom teaching, technology, and library science, she is uniquely qualified to inspire student curiosity and creativity---her students certainly reciprocate.  

In the coming weeks and months, be sure to watch out for some creative things coming from South Bend students!  If you ever want to see our program in action, feel free to call the school office to arrange a visit.

 

Sea Scout program looking to expand SB vocational training

SBHS students spend their first day on the river tug Lisa

Vocational Education, or Career & Technical Education (CTE) as it is also known, is an area we can educate students in job training, skill development, and leadership, directly relating to post-secondary career paths.  At South Bend, we have a robust CTE program in the construction trade and computer applications, with growing opportunities in robotics and horticulture.  In fact, we just constructed a second greenhouse to meet the demand of increased student interest.

The above CTE subjects are quite common in most schools.  But here in South Bend, our location is ideal for pursuing another major vocational area--the seaport/marine/shellfish industry.  Being on the Willapa, we are home to the second largest estuary on the Pacific Coast.  It seems logical to take advantage of our unique geography in educating students.

SB students working on the Lisa

Opportunity for Willapa Area Students

We have been working with Tim Quigg, of Quigg Bros Inc., for the last couple months.  Mr. Quigg approached us on developing a Sea Scout program, designed to introduce interested high school students (boys and girls) to areas of maritime industry.  In December, he invited SB High School principal Jason Nelson and me to visit the Hoquiam Sea Scout program, which works with students from Ocosta, Hoquiam, and Aberdeen.  What we witnessed was incredible, where high school students operated a 46 ft. river tugboat, the Lisa, a full operational tugboat training vessel.

Yesterday (1.12.17), twenty South Bend students spent their first day in our new program, where they were oriented to the Lisa and the Sea Scout program. Students learned from experienced captains, retired Merchant Marine mariners, and Mr. Quigg himself.

SB student piloting the Lisa

It is a rare occurrence to have someone like Tim Quigg involved in a project of this nature and potential.  Mr. Quigg purchased, rebuilt, and outfitted the Lisa specifically for the Hoquiam based Sea Scout program.  As South Bend begins our program, students will be traveling to Hoquiam every other Thursday to participate in Sea Scouts, and learning on the Lisa.  As we grow our program, South Bend students will work and learn right here on the Willapa in South Bend.

A Tug for South Bend?

Mr. Quigg, a man with a passion for helping students realize their potential, had another surprise for our students on their first day.  After spending several hours on the Lisa and getting oriented to the program, he brought them to the port at Quigg Bros. home base in Aberdeen, and led them into one of his large warehouses.  What the students saw blew them away.  Mr. Quigg showed them what is to be their very own tug boat training vessel to be based in South Bend, on the Willapa.

SB students posing in front of the eventual South Bend tugboat training vessel

South Bend students spent the next hour going through the boat and learning about its history.  Once the boat's restoration is complete, she will make the trip out of Grays Harbor and come around through the Willapa Bay to arrive in South Bend.

Working With Our Community

It is my belief our school district needs to be responsive to the desire of our local community to provide opportunity for students, especially when such opportunity has the potential to open doors for our kids' future career paths, leadership development, and exploring new experiences.  This helps provide educational opportunities relevant to our students' lives and their future.  We need to do our best to provide education that meets the needs of all students, and be willing to explore ways to meet student interests in non-traditional settings.

Mr. Quigg understands this as well as anyone, and we are grateful for his vision and willingness to partner with us in developing the Sea Scout program in South Bend.

As we build this program, one of my goals is to provide students the opportunity to earn high school credit through this experience.  We also desire to work with local industry and build the program to meet employment needs of the area.  Wouldn't it be great to be able to not only train students on the tug, but also on oyster dredges, aquaculture, and other river/bay/ocean related careers?  We are in the infancy of such programs at this point, but as those who know me have heard me say before, "We'll see what happens..."

How can I help?

If you or anyone you know would be interested in volunteering with our new Sea Scout program, please contact me at jtienhaa@southbendschools.org.  We are interested in people who have experience working on the boats, in the oyster/seafood industry, or with the ports.  We are also looking for a place to moor the tug that will soon be in South Bend.  In addition, we are looking for a small space on the river, in a building that will allow students to discuss with adult helpers their Sea Scout agenda and plan for the given day.  No heat required.  It would be ideal if such a space was near the tug moorage.

For more information on this article or about anything related to South Bend School District, please contact superintendent Jon Tienhaara at jtienhaa@southbendschools.org.

Grant Development for Baseball/Fastpitch Facility

We are pleased to announce a grant development involving South Bend School District and two private foundations:  Cal Ripken Sr. Foundation and the Ben B. Cheney Foundation.  The grant could provide approximately $500,000 to construct an all-weather synthetic turf baseball/fastpitch field at Cheney Park in South Bend.

The South Bend Board of Directors will meet early next week to approve a memorandum of understanding between the Cal Ripken Sr. Foundation and the district.  The Ben. B. Cheney Foundation will formalize their grant participation at their quarterly meeting in early March.  Project planning will begin in January.

The Project

The South Bend school board greenlighted the high school baseball and fastpitch program in August, 2016.  SB will play our first season without a home field this Spring, 2017.  Since the August board meeting, we have been working hard to find resources to build the field.  The initial project goal was to build an all-weather field at Cheney Park that would allow South Bend to play in various weather conditions.

We have been working with the City of South Bend since August to enter into a long-term lease agreement for Cheney Park.  The South Bend City Council approved the lease agreement at their November council meeting.  This agreement provides the school district with full access to the sports field and allows the district to make improvements.  The district will also manage field use.

Grant Funding

We have been talking with the Cheney Foundation for several months about the project and they have been excited about the prospect of bringing baseball and fastpitch back to South Bend.  To date, the Cheney Foundation has provided funding to purchase all of our baseball and fastpitch uniforms and has funded the majority of our equipment and supplies.  Recently, however, they informed us of their desire to provide a significant grant towards the construction of the field.  This and a new development with the Cal Ripken Sr. Foundation allows us to move to the design and planning process.

Completed Cal Ripken Sr. Foundation field project

The Baltimore based Cal Ripken Sr. Foundation (CRSF) grant came in last week and will provide the remainder of the funding needed to construct our facility.  They have built over 70 synthetic turf fields across the nation.  South Bend will have the third field constructed in Washington State.

How it works

The CRSF grant works in partnership with the school district and other outside funding partners.  The initial budget of $528,868 requires a 50-60% match.  In our case, much of this match could be met through the generous support of the Cheney Foundation.  The remainder of the budget is provided through funding partners tied to the CRSF grant program, and the Foundation itself.  CRSF will also provide project management and will implement all design, planning, and construction aspects of the project.

When will construction begin?

We hope construction can begin in June, when the weather improves.  It is our hope to have the field completed by the end of the summer, and we intend to play on the new field Spring of 2018.  CRSF, the district, and the City will be working together to ensure the project moves forward smoothly.  We will also be planning for future maintenance and upkeep of the facility.

Further Information

This field project is a major development for both the school district and the City of South Bend.  The completed park will serve youth programs, the school district, and the community for years to come.  Regular updates will be provided to the public as the project moves forward.

Questions on this project or other issues related to South Bend School District should be directed to Superintendent Jon Tienhaara at jtienhaa@southbendschools.org.

Forming Facility Committee

We are looking for parents, school staff, community stakeholders, and students interested in serving on a newly forming facility committee for South Bend School District.

One of the most significant investments in a small community are the school buildings and facilities. To ensure our students continue to receive a quality education and are prepared for future opportunity, stakeholder input is needed to inform how our buildings are developed and/or improved upon.

The facility committee will assist in making recommendations to the school board of directors on capital project priorities and long-range/short-range facility planning. The committee will gain a thorough understanding of the current campus layout and infrastructure, and use this knowledge to assess district facility needs in order to help craft priorities that will impact future development. These priorities will help inform the school board on how to proceed with any future capital bond measures needed to finance school building construction and modernization.

Those interested in learning more about the facility committee or in serving on the facility committee should contact superintendent Jon Tienhaara at jtienhaa@southbendschools.org.