Bethel Pride by Bethel Schools

BETHEL

PRIDE SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2018

SCHOOL CONSTRUCTION BOND

• Bethel bond on November ballot • Taxes are going down

Safety & Security November Bond Alternatives 13

Lockdown!

Emergency Information

What parents need to know about Modified and Full Lockdowns.

In the event of an emergency or inclement weather we will take all precautions to ensure the safety of our students and staff.

4 12

Bethel Needs a Bond We are quickly running out of options for housing our growing number of students.

Safer Schools If the November bond is passed, the district will be able to focus on a number of Safety & Security upgrades districtwide.

8 10

Best of the Worst A community-led group is looking for the best of the worst-case scenarios if the bond is not passed.

Year-round Schools Bethel was a year-round school district from 1974-1981 and it could be again in 2021.

On the cover: JROTC students honored the victims of 9/11 during a Patriots Day ceremony.

This month, voters will receive their ballots for the November Election. On the ballot is a bond that would allow our district to finally build new schools, and expand old schools so we can accommodate the staggering amount of growth our area has seen since our last new schools were built a decade ago. Since then, 2,000 new students have enrolled and we now must use over 200 portable classrooms across our 27 schools to house them all. If the bond does not pass in November, we are already preparing for alternate options for housing our students, including multi-track year-round schools, double shifting, and leasing local retail space, or classroom space in nearby districts. The decision is up to our voters. They will either pass the bond to build new schools or they wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t. My commitment to you is that no matter the outcome, Bethel will remain a district to be proud of. We will continue to work hard to continue our upward trajectory. Don't forget to vote. Tom Seigel

Superintendent

SCHOOL BOARD

From the desk of...

John Manning President 253.222.2938 jmanning@bethelsd.org Brenda Rogers Vice President 360.893.5425 brogers@bethelsd.org

Roseanna Camacho 253.495.0096 rcamacho@bethelsd.org

Amy Pivetta 253.213.3767 apivetta@bethelsd.org

Marcus Young 253.439.7174 myoung@bethelsd.org

BETHEL PRIDE Bethel Pride is produced by the Bethel School Districtâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Communications Department.

Doug Boyles, Communications Director 253.683.6049; dboyles@bethelsd.org Conor Christofferson, Communications Manager 253.683.6966; cchristoff@bethelsd.org Timra Knox, Graphic Design Manager 253.683.6053; tknox@bethelsd.org Nicole Thompson, Secretary 253.683.6051; nthompson@bethelsd.org

Questions and feedback: 516 176th Street East Spanaway, WA 98387 Phone: 253.683.6000

Email: communications@bethelsd.org Website: www.bethelsd.org

Bethel School District is an Equal Opportunity Employer and complies with all federal rules and regulations, including Title IX, RCW 28A.640, RCW 28A.642 and Section 504. Bethel does not discriminate on the basis of sex, race, creed, religion, color, national origin, age, honorably discharged veteran or military status, sexual orientation including gender expression or identity, the presence of any disability, or use of a trained service animal by a person with a disability in its programs and activities and provides equal access to the Boy Scouts and other designated youth groups. Please contact Title IX officer Bryan Streleski, Director of Athletics and Security at 253.683.6055, Section 504 coordinators Lori Haugen (students), Executive Director of Special Education at 253.683.6920 or Todd Mitchell (staff), Executive Director of Human Resources at 253.683.6020 or Civil Rights coordinator Debbie Carlman, Director of Equity and Achievement at 253.683.6035 with any questions or complaints.

needs a bond Many voters assume money for building new schools comes automatically from the state. Not true. Washington State requires voters to approve local bonds to build schools. Only then does the state kick in money towards the cost of construction. Often called a “state match,” this actually isn’t a dollar-for-dollar match. Much of the burden of construction falls to the local voters.

Along with this, Washington is one of only six states in the country that requires a 60% supermajority for passing school bonds. Kentucky, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota and West Virginia are the other five states. This hurdle makes passing a bond very difficult. Over the past 38 years, Bethel voters have approved only four bonds, the most recent in 2006. Our last new schools were built in 2009, and since then our 202-square-mile corner of Pierce County has gotten more and more crowded. Scores of people are getting priced out of the cities and buying houses in Bethel, where the median home value is $400,000 less than in King County. With all of our new neighbors moving in, overcrowding at our 27 schools was inevitable. Our old buildings aren’t getting any younger, and routine maintenance can only take us 4

so far. Plus, there are safety and security upgrades we would like to make, but simply can’t, due to a lack of bond funding. In fact, if a bond is not passed soon, drastic measures will be needed. The School Board is already planning a reboundary of the district, as well as a move back to year-round schools. Superintendent Tom Seigel said if a bond were approved by voters this November, the timeline to build a new elementary school could be accelerated to avoid going back to year-round schools. Bethel has been there before.

more time this November.

Luckily, because of changes the state has made, our financial advisor indicates that local school taxes will actually go down for our taxpayers in 2019, even if the new bond is approved.

If approved, the bond would build three brand new schools, renovate Bethel High School, renovate and expand four of our other schools, and rebuild Challenger High School. It would also fund several projects focused on student safety, HVAC replacements at four of our schools, and kitchen

"A School Construction Bond would bring better working conditions for our teachers, better learning conditions for our students, and would help ease the overcrowding we are experiencing in our growing corner of the county." – Superintendent Tom Seigel From 1974 to 1981 we were a year-round district, which was also due to failed bonds and overcrowding. With all this in mind, our School Board (who all live in the district) voted unanimously in July to put a bond before the voters one

modifications at two schools. Bethel needs a bond. With three failed bond attempts since 2016, we are quickly running out of options for housing our growing population of students.

Taxes are going down, even if the November bond is approved by voters Pierce County Assessor-Treasurer Mike Lonergan has confirmed that taxes will be going down for Bethel voters, even if the November bond is approved by voters. “…it is my opinion that both the school district tax rate and the average amount of school district tax per residential property will be lower in 2019 than in 2018.” In his email to Superintendent Tom Seigel, Lonergan said the local levy/bond rate would

drop from $5.95 per thousand dollars of property value in 2018 to $4.88 per thousand in 2019, a number which includes a passed November bond. This summer, the Bethel School Board authorized a bond that would build three brand new schools, renovate Bethel High School, rebuild Challenger High School, and renovate and expand Cedarcrest, Evergreen, Naches Trail, and Elk Plain. It would also fund projects focused on student safety and building

security. Big changes are in store for our district as we continue to grow hundreds of students every year. It will be necessary to change boundaries for many of our schools in 2019. By 2021 the district will have virtually exhausted the ability to house students and may be forced to go into a multi-track year round school schedule, which may cause significant new issues for family schedules and activities.

BETHEL PRIDE

November 2018

BOND PR 3 NEW SCHOOLS

New High School at 224th & 70th site in Graham

Elementary School #18 on land owned near Naches Trail

Elementary School #19 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; location to be determined

1 NEW SCHOOL BUILDING

Build replacement for Challenger High School

1 SCHOOL RENOVATED

Bethel High School

4 SCHOOLS RENOVATED AND EXPANDED

Cedarcrest Middle School

Evergreen Elementary School

Naches Trail Elementary

Elk Plain School of Choice K-8

ROJECTS DISTRICTWIDE HEALTH, SAFETY, SECURITY AND OTHER CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS INCLUDING: `

HVAC (Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning) upgrades at Camas Prairie, Centennial, Graham and Rocky Ridge elementary schools

Pedestrian Safety Improvements at Bethel and Spanaway Lake high schools, and Evergreen Elementary, including sidewalks and safe walking paths

Traffic Circulation Improvements at Camas Prairie Elementary

Upgrading the kitchens at Bethel Middle School and Roy Elementary

Energy Efficiency Improvement Projects including lighting and security camera upgrades districtwide

Other capital improvements identified in the Long Range Task Force Recommendation

BETHEL PRIDE

Looking for the best of th School starts pretty early for many of our students. As winter approaches and the days get shorter, our headlights pick up the silhouettes of kids waiting at bus stops in the early morning hours. But what if school started even earlier?

Pajama Day, every day “Double Shifting” is one idea currently being explored by the Long Range Facilities Task Force to help combat overcrowding in the event the November bond does not pass. In a double shifting model, half of a school’s student population would attend from roughly 6 a.m. to noon, and the other half would attend from noon until 6 p.m. In this scenario, you can

only imagine what time the buses would have to roll to start picking kids up in the morning. One parent said, “In my house it would be like pajama day, every day.”

“Blue Light Special” on education In preparation for the first Task Force meeting, district administrators prepared a list of possible educational models that would help take the pressure off of our overcrowded schools. With a successful November bond being “Plan A,” this list of “Plan B” scenarios included everything from multi-track, year-round schools to the idea of leasing local commercial spaces to use as classrooms. Specifically

the worst case scenarios mentioned was the old Kmart building on Pacific Avenue and 176th. As the first meeting began, Task Force members added their own ideas to the mix, including having elementary schools utilize available classroom space at nearby middle schools, using property at other districts, and online learning options. That was followed by a spirited discussion that included a brainstorming session looking at potential impacts and pitfalls of each of the scenarios in question. The Task Force left no stone unturned, requesting more information on the impact to academics, staff recruitment and retention, maintenance,

transportation, food services, traffic, and family schedules under each proposed model, as well as the financial impact on the district. Another big topic that was broached was the impact on athletic programs under the new models, specifically in regards to year-round schools and double shifting. The next task force meeting will be held in October. Prior to that, the district will be gathering information and finding answers to many of the questions proposed by the Task Force so they can continue their discussions and decision making as they move forward, planning for the worst.

BETHEL PRIDE

Will history

f Bethel voters once again fail to pass a school construction bond this November, we may be forced to transition to year-round schools. If that happens, it won’t be the first time the district has taken extraordinary measures to combat overcrowding.

schools may not have a negative effect on education, (but) the data on its positive effects are inconclusive.”

When yet another Bethel bond failed last February — the 16th such failure since 1980 — our School Board was forced to act. The board passed Resolution 13, which set in motion the planning process for year-round schools to arrive in September 2021.

Our need for year-round schools is based solely on our lack of space. Year-round schools operate on a multitrack system that eases overcrowding by staggering schedules so only 75 percent of the student population is in school at any given time.

It would be a drastic measure, but it would be one that is familiar to some members of the Bethel community. Failing bonds and a rapidly growing community forced the district to implement year-round schools in 1974. That schedule continued until 1981 when the district returned to a traditional calendar. WHY YEAR-ROUND SCHOOLS? Some districts have adopted year-round schools with the goal of easing the “summer slide,” where students forget things they learned over summer break. But data doesn’t support the idea that year-round school increases student learning. According to the Congressional Research Service, “year-round

So if year-round schools don’t save money and don’t increase student productivity, then why are we considering it?

If voters continue to shoot down construction bonds, our already-crowded schools will go so far over capacity that the district won’t be able to house every student using a traditional 10-month schedule. WHAT WOULD YEAR-ROUND SCHOOLS LOOK LIKE? It would be easy to assume that students in year-round schools spend more time in the classroom, but that’s actually not the case. Students in the traditional 10-month calendar typically attend 180 days of school each year. Year-round schools also operate on the 180 day schedule, but they stretch the days throughout the entire year with small breaks throughout.

REPE REPE REPE

When Bethel adopted a yearround schedule in the 1970s, schools operated on a fourtrack system that went 45 days on and 15 days off. Because students went to school on different tracks, it was not uncommon for members of the same family to be in school at different times.

Dr. Steve Webb is now the Superintendent of Vancouver Public Schools, but from 1976 to 1978 he was a student at Spanaway Junior High. He and his two brothers were both in Track B, but his sister was in Track C, meaning her school breaks didn’t match up with her brothers’. “My strongest recollection of my experience as a student at Spanaway Junior High on a multi-track system was one of disruption,” Webb said. “Dual income families trying to manage schedules — and then adding an additional layer of all of your children not being on the same schedule — that makes it increasingly complicated.” In addition to scheduling issues, year-round schools might have adverse economic consequences as well. According to Education Week, tourism and other industries that count on summer vacationers could suffer with year-round schools, and high school students might be less able to get summer jobs.

itself in Bethel? EAT EAT EAT

“I can’t even imagine it now. It’s just phenomenally, amazingly complicated. It’s just scary.” – Carol Garwood, former Naches Trail Elementary teacher BETHEL PRIDE

SAFETY& SECURITY The school construction bond on the ballot this November would create new and improved schools in Bethel, but it would also pay for enhanced security districtwide. Though we strive to stay as up-to-date as possible, there is always a line that can't be crossed due to funding, no matter how necessary the security upgrade is. The district has always been diligent about the safety and security of our students and staff. After the Sandy Hook massacre, we were one of the first in the state to install cameras that require visitors to show ID before entering the building. We are also now partnering with the Pierce County Sheriff’s Department on a new school mapping program that streamlines communication during school emergencies. This summer we focused on a number of districtwide security upgrades, including new view holes for our 201 portable classrooms as well as new locks for our classroom doors. But with no bond passed in Bethel since 2006, the sad fact

is that we have school buildings that are not as secure as they could be, and some schools need renovations that are too expensive for our limited maintenance funds. If a bond is passed this November, the district can focus on a number of safety and security upgrades, including seismic upgrades to four of our buildings that aren’t up to current code. “We’ve only passed four bonds since 1980 and we’re at the point where you have to look at our buildings and one of the requirements we need to address is seismic upgrading, and the only way to be able to afford it is to pass a bond,” said Superintendent Tom Seigel.

“There are a number of things that need to be done. Frankly, it requires a bond in order to be able to spend the money that’s required for some of those changes.” – Superintendent Tom Seigel 12

LOCKDOWN! What parents need to know about Modified Lockdowns and Full Lockdowns

Most of us didn’t grow up doing lockdown drills at school. But today it’s a reality, and like fire drills, our kids will grow up knowing what to do in the event of a dangerous situation. Modified Lockdowns Modified lockdowns are used frequently these days as a safety protocol. The modified lockdown assures a more controlled environment for students, allowing authorities and school administrators to look into and handle situations that are not putting students or staff in imminent danger. It also helps assure students and staff don’t walk into a situation unknowingly. During a modified lockdown, entry and exit from the school is limited to that which is authorized by the Sheriff’s Department. A modified lockdown can look different based on the school and the situation. Classrooms may be asked to keep their blinds closed, recess may be canceled, etc. Full Lockdowns The purpose of a full lockdown is to move students, staff, and visitors into the nearest secured area to minimize their exposure

The Pierce County Sheriff’s Department could put our schools into a modified lockdown or a full lockdown for a number of reasons: • Off-campus police activity that could pose a potential threat to a nearby school campus • An in-progress crime near a school • Information received about someone believed to be on their way to school who may be a threat • An actual or perceived threat to school occupants • An on-campus intruder, either inside or outside a school building to a potential threat, whether internal or external. In the event of a full lockdown we respectfully ask that parents and family members not come to the school where the lockdown is currently in place. Not only does it put you in danger, but it diverts police attention away from the current situation. We also ask that parents and family members not call the school, as our phone lines are needed

to communicate with first responders. Parents should also not call or message students on their cell phones. In a lockdown situation students and staff are being as quiet as possible. Any noise from arriving messages or calls could alert an intruder to their location. After a full lockdown, a modified lockdown may be used to help schools resume normal activities, while still maintaining a secure environment for staff and students. Communication during a lockdown In the event of a lockdown, we are working hand-in-hand with the Pierce County Sheriff’s Department. As they assess the situation and give us factual information to share, we will send information to you via phone, email, and text message.

e sure to check with your school office to make sure your contact numbers and email addresses are up to date. Calls to parents are always made first.

BETHEL PRIDE

INCLEMENT WEATHER PROCEDURES & INFORMATION In the event of an emergency or inclement weather, the Bethel School District will take all precautions to ensure the safety of our students and staff. For inclement weather that impacts school start or end times, the district will utilize the following forms of communication to relay important information to families and staff. ×× ×× ×× ×× ×× ×× ××

Phone call & email to families* Radio & Television stations FlashAlert (sign up at flashalert.net) District & School websites – bethelsd.org Facebook (Bethel School District) Twitter (@BethelSD) Emergency Hotline: 253.683.6001

School Closures & Modifications Schools Closed – This means all Bethel schools are closed for all students, and no transportation will be provided to other schools outside of the district, even though they may be open. All scheduled activities are also cancelled. Two Hours Late – This means buses will begin their first route two hours late but at regularly scheduled stops. There will be NO preschool, ECEAP, Head Start, LSA, or classes at CHS, late start or early release programs, and no out-of-district transportation. Snow Routes in Effect – Due to road conditions, some bus stops have changed location. Snow route information is available at bethelsd.org/snowroutes.

*Please make sure your contact information is up to date with your school so you will receive the phone calls and emails. The system is set up to call the primary phone number only.

BE PREPARED FOR A SCHOOL EMERGENCY

×× Ensure that your child’s emergency contact information is accurate and current.

IN CASE OF A SCHOOL EMERGENCY ×× DO NOT call or rush to your child’s school. Phone lines and staff are needed for emergency response efforts. ×× DO NOT phone your child. Staff and students are discouraged from using cell phone communications for safety reasons.

FOR INFORMATION

×× ×× ×× ×× ×× ×× ××

In the event of an emergency at your child’s school, it is important to know these terms. Modified Lockdown – A modified lockdown takes place if an external threat is identified near the school. All exterior school doors are locked and students are confined to the building.* Lockdown – A lockdown takes place if an internal or external threat is identified at the school. All school doors are locked and students are confined to classrooms.* Shelter in Place – Students take refuge in designated areas to protect them from hazardous materials or severe weather.* *No entry into or exit from the school will be allowed until an “allclear” announcement is made.

Evacuation – In the event of certain building emergencies, students will be relocated to an evacuation assembly area. Reunification – Parents/guardians will be directed by school Emergency Notification System, or public safety officials via media, to their child’s specific location.* *Students will be released ONLY to parents/guardians or those who are documented as emergency contacts and who present a picture ID such as a driver’s license, military ID or passport.

EMERGENCY PROCEDURES & I N F O R M AT I O N

District Calendar november 1-2

Elementary Conferences

1-2

Secondary Conferences

7 9

Early Dismissal, K-5

Early Dismissal, 6-12

Late Arrival HS End of 1st Qtr Early Dismissal, 9-12

december

january

Highly Capable Referrals

Late Arrival

Professional Learning Day

School Board Meeting

Highly Capable Referrals

School Board Meeting

Winter Break

Martin Luther King Day

Forms available online Kindergarten only

7 p.m., ESC

Forms Due â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Kindergarten only

1-4

Winter Break

No School

No Students

Forms available online Grades 1-8 only 7 p.m., ESC

Veterans Day observed

School Board Meeting 7 p.m., ESC

Tech Fair & Art Festival

2123

Thanksgiving Break

School Board Meeting

MS End of 1st Trimester

Elem/HS End of 2nd Qtr

Highly Capable Referrals

No School

Early Dismissal, 6-8

2431

No School

10 a.m., SLHS 7 p.m, CCE

Early Dismissal, K-5 & 9-12

Forms due â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Grades 1-8 only

Jay Brower, Bethel's Director of Community Connections, helps unload 30 bicycles that World Vision donated to the district to replace a fleet of stolen bikes.

Non-profit org. U.S. Postage PAID Permit No. 56 Spanaway, WA 98387

Bethel School District No. 403

516 E. 176th St., Spanaway, WA 98387-8399 (253) 683-6000 | www.bethelsd.org

Bethel School District Resident

VOTE! th DON'T FORGET TO

NOVEMBER