Overview | Hope VI | Career 1-Stop | Multi-Service Center | White Center Heights Elementary School

Trade Show: Highline School District: White Center Heights Elementary School

Presented by Tom Slattery from the Highland School Board

We passed a construction bond a year or so ago but now have to prove that we will accomplish our goal. This is a community project that includes recreation, parent support, classes and other programs. Groundbreaking will commence on August 2003 and the grand opening will Sept 2004. The district plans will have 3 brand new elementary schools by 2008. Because each building has its own overhead, principals, custodians, etc., consolidation will occur. The smallest school, Sandy Creek will be closed. Boundary changes will take place to keep each school at it is capacity. White Center Heights Elementary School will have a 600 student capacity but this will not affect class size. We will still have the same amount of teachers.

We will close the school to build an entirely new building on the site. Construction will cost $13mm. Minor changes such as to putting in a retaining wall will add some cost of about $150,000. It is a state of the art 64,000 sq feet building. All weather baseball and soccer fields will be on site which will used by the community. The school will have a new 5,300 sq ft gym and 2,700 sq ft multipurpose room with a stage area that has movable walls to accommodate all sizes of groups. The principal's office is at the front entrance. The whole building will have air conditioning.

The school faces the new Hope VI development and has the most challenged demographics in the district. Space is available for a potential community building for Head Start or similar organization but this is just a proposal as it will be a separate entity and have its own funding.

New schools will bring up the value of the community. This is a true community school. We will have before school and after school programs which are open to the community. New Futures and Refugee Service Center are handling fiscal responsibility and some guidance in this area.

All the schools are built with wings and pods of classrooms to keep the student population close to other students their age and close to their teachers. The community population will have use of a dedicated wing in the evenings. This wing will have its own entrance as the school will be secured. The idea is to expand and enhance what happens in schools to make the best use of the resources. Other funding has made this possible. We have recently hired a director who will start in August. An advisory council has been formed. We have secured sources to provide funding renewable for 3 years.

What kind of services to the community?

The school board has to live geographically to the school, so board is very focused on outreach to the community. The c oalition is still figuring this out. A philosophy exists with the knowledge that the vision needs to be realized. Current White Center boundaries include many of the economic disadvantaged, and there are many languages. Child care and Head Start are not incorporated into this plan.