Students need safe, well-kept buildings

Longview Public Schools is focused on student learning and providing opportunities for student success. We believe that all students can learn and that it is our responsibility to teach them to become critical thinkers and discerning consumers of information while being challenged to reach their academic potential. As an educational institution, our primary goal is increasing student achievement. One of the many things we need to do to help our students achieve, is to provide quality learning environments in which our students can thrive. We recognize that the condition of school buildings is important to the teaching and learning process and ultimately to student achievement. The safety and security of our schools also plays an important role in how our students perform. When our students are comfortable and our buildings are healthy and safe, teachers can focus on what is truly important – delivering the quality education our kids deserve.

At Longview Public Schools, we have been working to improve the learning environments in our aging facilities by investing voter approved levy dollars to repair and maintain our buildings, and by making improvements to lighting, heating, and classroom technology, gymnasiums, and our athletic facilities. We have also invested heavily in safety and security so our students can feel safe and our parents have peace of mind. We have installed fencing around our campuses, added security cameras, and built front access vestibules that require our staff to buzz visitors into our buildings once they have been cleared to do so.

The work will continue this summer when a number of schools will undergo the replacement of heating/cooling systems to improve air quality and temperature control, new flooring will be installed and additional building security measures put in place to help keep students and employees safe. Some schools will have gym floors refinished and locker rooms revamped. We will also break ground on the Memorial Stadium project and will have a new turf field and track by the time fall sports roll around.

These improvements extend the life of our facilities, and create healthy learning environments where our students can thrive. These improvements can be attributed to the generous, financial support of our voters and federal funding that has been made available to our district for the improvement of air quality. Our community’s backing is critical to our students’ success, and we are grateful for the Longview community’s support of our capital

Longview Schools

from page 20 projects and technology levy which helped make these projects possible. I also want to thank the Kelso-Longview Chamber of Commerce for its consistent support of our public schools as we continue striving to improve the education we provide the children of Longview.

The Kelso Longview Chamber of Commerce would like to THANK the following loyal members for renewing their partnership with us this month.

Animal Health Services, Inc, PS

Baker Lumber Company, Inc

Behrends Body Shop

Kelso Schools from page 20 business/industry and labor reflecting the diversity of the community.

• CTE programs are reviewed annually and the results are used for continuous program improvement.

We are proud of our robust CTE program in Kelso, and how it supports our mission of preparing every student for living, learning, and achieving success as a citizen of our changing world.

Biggs Insurance Services

Brusco Tug and Barge, Inc

Collins Architectural Group, PS

Dick Hannah Toyota

Global Images Graphic Design and Marketing

Green Hills Crematory – Cascade Northwest Funeral Home Chapel

Hilander Dental

Kay Green

Kelso Rotary

Les Schwab Tire Center

Les Schwab Tire Center – Ocean Beach

Lower Columbia CAP

Noelle A. McLean, Attorney at Law

Northwest Motor Service

Teague's Interiors

Viking Automatic Sprinkler Company

Wasser and Winters Company

William (BJ) R. Boatsman, CPA

City of Longview

MaryAlice Wallis Mayor