(Parent volunteer working with student at end of AH’s long hallway connecting portables)
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor

In less than an hour, Arbor Heights Elementary supporters plan to rally outside School District headquarters in SODO – in advance of the School Board’s next meeting.

At that meeting (4:15 pm start for board business, 5 pm for public comment), the Board is scheduled to consider the formal introduction of the latest draft of the BEX IV levy, a project list totaling almost $700 million.

It includes a plan to use levy money to build a replacement for AH Elementary – more than 60 years old and falling apart – but not until 2018 (moved up one year from the previous draft, as reported here yesterday), while the district is using levy money to open other new schools as early as 2015.

This morning, School Board president Michael DeBell visited Arbor Heights to see its dilapidation firsthand and listen to the eleventh-hour plea from second-year principal Christy Collins and two members of the Arbor Heights parent community.

He agreed that Arbor Heights’ condition is a “critical situation,” but made no commitments to change where it stands on the BEX list. Ahead, see some of what he saw, in a tour that began at the stairs from SW 104th to Arbor Heights’ front entrance.

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Tomorrow night, the final draft – not necessarily the final wording – of Seattle Public Schools‘ BEX IV levy is scheduled for formal introduction to the School Board. We’ve just checked the agenda, and it includes an “edited” list that has the Arbor Heights Elementary rebuild now scheduled for completion in 2018, one year earlier than the last draft. Fairmount Park Elementary is still scheduled for reopening in 2014, and a rebuilt Schmitz Park Elementary on the current (closed) Genesee Hill campus is still scheduled to open in 2015.

Meantime, we’re told this afternoon by Arbor Heights parents and other supporters – who say their dilapidated school needs to be rebuilt ASAP and should be the first project on the BEX list – that they plan a rally before the board meeting tomorrow, around 3:45 pm at district HQ in SODO. The school board meeting itself starts at 4:15 pm; the public-comment period starts at 5; the scheduled introduction (and potential discussion) of BEX IV is after that. They’re hopeful for as much community support as they can get, so if you would like to stand with them for a “soon as possible” rebuild, be there tomorrow.

(Last slide from Arbor Heights deck showing building conditions – see entire deck here)
ORIGINAL REPORT, 1:34 PM: Despite a loud community clamor, Arbor Heights Elementary‘s rebuild is NOT being moved up on the next draft of the BEX IV levy, just announced this afternoon, with a School Board work session coming up tomorrow. Here’s the message Superintendent José Banda just sent out, with the highlights of the latest list – we’ll be checking district documents to look for further details as soon as they are available:

… Today we are writing to update you on our enrollment growth challenges. We have two levies up for renewal in February 2013 – our Operations Levy and our Building Excellence (BEX IV) IV Capital Levy.

Our BEX IV levy will include a list of recommended projects for 2014-2021, which we are presenting to the School Board at a work session on Oct. 10. A final vote by the Board is expected in November.
Below is a summary of currently proposed projects under consideration for BEX IV:

· Arbor Heights Elementary: Replace existing building with new/expanded facility by 2019. The school will be at an interim site starting in 2017. We understand the building is in need of replacement, but we will not have enough cash flow from levy funding to move this project up within BEX. However, we will analyze the pros and cons of other funding options to hopefully start this work sooner.

· Bagley Elementary: Modernize and build an addition by 2020.

· Fairmount Park building: Open this existing building with necessary upgrades, add classrooms and a lunchroom by 2014.

· Jane Addams K-8: Move to Pinehurst K-8 and open Jane Addams building as a middle school by 2015. We will work with the Pinehurst community on next steps for the school.

· Lincoln building: Modernize and open as a new high school by 2019.

· Loyal Heights Elementary: Modernize and build addition by 2018.

· Mann building: Modernize and build addition for NOVA by 2014

· Meany Middle School: Reconfigure for a comprehensive central region middle school by 2017.

· Northeast Seattle elementary school: To meet growing capacity, add K-5 school on Thornton Creek site by 2016.

· Olympic Hills: Replace existing building with a new/expanded facility by 2017.

· Queen Anne Elementary: Build classroom and gym addition to the building by 2019.

· Schmitz Park Elementary: Replace existing Genesee Hill building with a new/expanded facility on the Genesee Hill site; relocate Schmitz Park to the new facility by 2015.

· Wilson-Pacific: Replace building with a new elementary and a new middle school for additional capacity by 2017. We will work with the Cascade Parent Partnership Program and Middle College on determining new locations.

· Wing Luke Elementary: Replace existing building with a new/expanded facility by 2020.

· World School: We are continuing to work on finalizing a location.

These projects were chosen with four criteria in mind: 1) safety and security, 2) meeting capacity needs, 3) building condition and 4) maximizing flexibility for programs and services.

In addition, the BEX IV plan includes:

· Technology improvements: Wireless in every school and needed hardware upgrades.

· Seismic improvements: About 50 schools would receive seismic upgrades.

· Lunchroom and core facilities: New lunchrooms at Green Lake and McGilvra elementary schools.

· Science labs at Aki Kurose, Mercer, McClure and Eckstein middle schools.

· Major preventive maintenance and infrastructure improvements.

· Interim downtown school: Dependent upon external partnership funding.

· Capacity flexibility: Building larger core facilities to provide for expansion and including academic program placement and services close to where families live.
The latest BEX IV list of possible projects totals about $675 million. Additional information is online at http://bit.ly/SPSBEX

We invite families and community members to attend a public meeting to learn more about the BEX projects and to offer public testimony.

· Wednesday, Oct. 10, 4-6 p.m. – Board Work Session, John Stanford Center (information only, no public testimony).

· Wednesday, Oct. 17, 4:15 p.m. – Regular School Board meeting, expected introduction of BEX IV list. Public testimony taken (prior sign-up required).

· Wednesday, Oct. 24, 4-5 p.m. – BEX IV and Operations levies public comment session, John Stanford Center. Public testimony taken.

· Wednesday, Nov. 7, 4:15 p.m. – School Board meeting, expected vote on BEX IV project list.
In the meantime, we continue to collect, record and review all input. Please send comments to capacity@seattleschools.org.

Sincerely,

Jose´ Banda
Superintendent
Seattle Public Schools

More to come.

2:38 PM UPDATE: Just a note to say that we are still trying to find the documentation that goes along with this – it has not been published to the SPS website yet so far as we can tell, but, likely before day’s end, there should be a slide deck at the very least. Will update once we have that link.

5:04 PM UPDATE: The presentation for tomorrow’s work session is now up. Here’s the link. Will add to this story if it contains anything of note NOT reported in the superintendent’s letter.

5:22 PM UPDATE: Of note, in light of the most recent community meetings and other West Seattle discussions – STEM is mentioned as “a program” on page 24, in district-wide context, not WS. However, the same language was in the September version of this slide deck (which you’ll find here). Page 30 of the new slide deck summarizes “most frequent comments” from the last round of community meetings and mentions two from West Seattle: “Arbor Heights Elementary: Build sooner” and “K-5 STEM at Boren: Find permanent home.” (Which the new lineup still doesn’t address.)

On this night when the West Seattle Relay for Life teams are walking all night to raise cancer-fighting funds – they have kindred spirits at Arbor Heights Elementary. Barb Glascock shares photos and news from Thursday’s bake sale:

Arbor Heights Elementary School’s 5th graders hosted a bake sale to raise cancer-research funds for Seattle Children’s Hospital. The bake sale was held during the school’s annual Field Day, and, with the help of all of the children, staff and visiting adults buying treats, the kids raised over $500! It was also “Crazy Hair” day. A check will be delivered to Children’s Hospital next week.

(Saturday photo by WSB’s Patrick Sand)
The bonnets worn by Arbor Heights Elementary first-graders Lynn and Lucy on Saturday afternoon might look familiar – two days earlier, they and their classmates wore old-time farmers’ gear to greet a distinguished visitor to their school, newly hired Seattle Public Schools Superintendent José Banda:

(Thursday photo courtesy of AH parent volunteer)
We had reported before on their tomato-growing adventure in teacher Marcia Ingerslev‘s class, and the plan to give away tomato plants at Roxbury Safeway on Saturday; by the time we checked in toward the end of their four-hour stint outside the store, hundreds of plants had new homes, they told us, and as you can see in their table decoration, they had a healthy-food message to go along with it.

That’s one of the most personal moments we caught on video this morning as Arbor Heights Elementary School played host to José Banda – who starts work as Seattle Public Schools’ next superintendent July 1st, after the School Board voted unanimously last night to finalize his hiring. It might be a little hard to hear (with multiple camera shutters mixed in), but he’s speaking with a student about world geography, and mentioning that his son is currently working half a world away – as a teacher. Banda looked in on classrooms all over the school, as well as orchestra practice in the cafetorium, and gave short interviews to the panoply of media crews that showed up (this was his only official photo op as his Seattle visit continued today). But before the designated 10 am start time for the school tour, he was greeted by AH students:

Thanks to an AH parent for sharing that photo of Marcia Ingerslev‘s first-graders, who were dressed as farmers, since they presented the new superintendent with a plant – you saw their story here last week, as they are selling and giving away tomato plants, and will be at Roxbury Safeway this Saturday. (Watching the students, from left, are district communications director Lesley Rogers, executive director of West Seattle schools Aurora Lora; superintendent-to-be Banda; and AH principal Christy Collins; WS school-board director Marty McLaren was there for the visit too). We also took many photos, and more video, and are going through it all right now, to add more to this story later.

(And yes, the new superintendent said, the students did make sure he knows about the poor condition their building is in – rated worst in the district – the BEX IV levy currently proposes a new building for AH, but not to be completed until 2018, and the community is campaigning to have that timetable moved up before the levy plan is finalized this fall; its problems were amply explained during a BEX-related meeting at AH that we covered in April.)

ADDED 4:50 PM: More photos, ahead:Read More

Tomorrow morning, Arbor Heights Elementary staff and students will be among the first community members to be able to congratulate José Banda on his new job as Seattle Public Schools Superintendent. The School Board voted 7-0 tonight to confirm him, and – as reported here Tuesday – his visit continues tomorrow with a 10 am stop at AH. Here’s the district’s announcement of tonight’s vote:Read More

Just announced by Seattle Public Schools in a media advisory, José Banda – scheduled to be confirmed as the district’s next superintendent on Wednesday night – will visit Arbor Heights Elementary on Thursday. Banda has been leading a school district in Anaheim, California, but is coming back to Seattle for the board vote Wednesday night, and the AH visit has been announced as one of his two media availabilities for the visit (a photo op rather than a public event, in case you’re wondering) – the other will include interviews after the board vote.

At Arbor Heights Elementary, a first-grade class isn’t just talking and learning about healthy food – they’re growing it, too, and ready to share their plants with you. Parent Krista Withers shares the news of a plant sale continuing through the end of the week, and a giveaway planned for weekend after next!

All year long our teacher, Marcia Ingerslev, has been focusing on building healthy habits for lifelong nutrition and good health. In addition to cooking in the classroom each Friday, the children from room 16 have been planting, potting, repotting, watering, and caring for many tomato plants.

These plants will be for sale (by donation) after school at the Arbor Heights Playground this week.

Mrs.Ingerslev explains how this will benefit the class, the school and our community here:

“In the cold days of February, the students of room 16 at Arbor Heights planted two flats of tomatoes. With 400 or more sprouts I figured we would get a couple hundred plants.

We are currently at 400 tomato plants, which confirms what I have always known, anything planted and nurtured by a child grows better than when planted by an adult. Some of the plants have been transplanted several times, others are still waiting for a larger home. We will be selling plants until none remain. On May 19th some of my students are going to be at Safeway on Roxbury to share what they have learned about nutrition. They will have a hundred tomato plants to give away. We want families to be able to eat healthy food. This is our small contribution to that end.

If you can’t wait until then or are interested in purchasing (for a donation) more tomato plants, please contact me at mmingerslev@seattleschools.org. 100% of the proceeds go to fund a native-plant garden and our school and to run Room 16’s nutrition program. All of the seeds, pots, and soil were donated. Manpower was provided by first-grade students.”

After-school sales this week are running from about 3:10-4:05 pm. On Saturday, May 19th, Krista tells us, the students’ visit to Roxbury Safeway (Roxbury/26th) will be from 9:30 am-1:30 pm.

With the pro-football preseason is four-plus months away, there’s plenty of time for players to set their sights on a different playing field – local schools. Seattle Seahawks quarterback Josh Portis made a surprise appearance today at Arbor Heights Elementary School (whose students are the “Junior Seahawks”). His message: Stay in school. Not that dropping out is a big problem at the elementary level, but it’s never too soon to start making sure the message sinks in – encouraging better attendance has been a big districtwide campaign this school year. (Thanks to the Arbor Heights parent volunteer who shared the photo of the quarterback and Ms. Wilson, the first-grade teacher who led today’s assembly.)

By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor

The principals of Arbor Heights and Roxhill Elementary Schools say the emergence of a proposal to merge the two into a rebuilt AH was as much a “big surprise” to them as it was to their schools’ communities.

That’s part of what they told a gathering of more than 50 people last night at a quickly organized community meeting, less than a week after the merger proposal debuted in the package of possibilities that district staff is circulating (as reported here) as the first round of community meetings begins about what should be in next February’s 4th edition of the every-six-years BEX (“Building Excellence”) levy.

The meeting, led by AH principal Christy Collins, with Roxhill principal Carmela Dellino speaking from the audience, unfolded while the first of those meetings played out across the city at Eckstein Middle School (West Seattle’s school-board director Marty McLaren had sent her regrets to AH and Roxhill, saying she had to be at that meeting instead of theirs). West Seattle’s version of the levy-input meeting is set for 6:30 pm Thursday at Denny International Middle School, and the meeting materials are now on the district website, if you’d like a preview – PowerPoint overview here and “the 3 options” here (which includes the merger proposal).

In addition to answering questions, the two principals sought to explain their side of how this idea might have sprung up, and Collins explained in a show-and-tell why it’s imperative that a new building replacing the 64-year-old AH becomes part of the levy, some way, some how.

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