Central Valley School District Forms Community Committees

If the Central Valley School District needed a new motto, it could be “Committees R Us.”

Central Valley is starting up four committees that will give a few dozen community members a voice in important issues facing the school district: boundary review, capital planning, as well as architect selection and education specifications for the two new high schools.

“We want to include as many community members as possible,” said district spokesman, Skip Bonuccelli.

The boundary review committee will address possible changes in the Liberty Lake Elementary School attendance boundaries.

It will also look at making changes in junior high and high school boundaries, so as to even out the enrollments between the district’s two high schools. Right now, Central Valley High School has about 1,325 students; University High School has 1,040.

The capital planning committee will shape a 6- to 8-year capital spending plan that will include three goals.

First, the committee will look at and prioritize the needs for updating and improving the district’s older elementary schools.

Second, the group will form a recommendation for the school board on how to spend any money received from the state, reimbursing the district for part of the $78 million high school construction project. Up to $20 million is expected; just when that money might be received is unclear.

Finally, the capital planning committee will be asked to come up with a capital facilities plan, outlining what capital projects should be on the calendar in the next several years.

“Capital plans in past years have been longer than that,” said Dave Jackman, auxiliary services director for the district. “But we find we have a hard time implementing years 10 through 20.”

A third committee will select an architectural firm for design and development of its two new high schools.

Because voters last month approved a $78 million bond, Central Valley High will be rebuilt at its present site, while a new University High will go up at 32nd Avenue and Pines Road.

The fourth committee will create a detailed plan for just what the new high schools should include, so as to be state-of-the-art teaching facilities.

All four committees will involve substantial time commitments.

The boundary review committee will operate from January through December 1999.

The capital planning committee will run from January through June.

The architect’s committee will meet in November and December. The ed specs committee will run from November through May 1999.

WILLING TO WORK? Individuals who are interested in serving on any of the Central Valley School District’s four new committees should contact their child’s school principal, if they have a school-age child, or the district’s administrative office.