Mothers Push CV Board For Full-Time Elementary Counselors

This week’s Central Valley School Board meeting included discussion on elementary counselors, comments on the four-period day, as well as a peek at the precise color of brick for the two new high schools.

About a dozen moms representing Stand For Children went to the board meeting on Monday, urging board members to fund full-time counselors in every elementary school.

Stand for Children stems from a national organization that works for children’s causes. A new chapter of Stand for Children in Spokane is being formed.

Counselors in Central Valley elementary schools is the first cause taken on by the group.

“No one disagrees with that goal,” said acting superintendent Jay Walter.

The district hopes to be able to add counselors, through a possible outreach partnership with Valley Hospital and Deaconess Medical Center, Walter said. Discussions between the district and Deaconess are just getting under way.

Anne Long, a parent at Liberty Lake Elementary School, spoke for Stand for Children. She asked board members to attend a public forum on the need for and public interest in full-time counselors.

Board members made clear, however, that such a forum would be a Stand for Children event, not an official board meeting.

Walter said after the meeting that he would suggest the group present further discussion through a regular board meeting. Walter is serving as acting superintendent while Superintendent Wally Stanley is convalescing from a broken leg. Stanley is expected to return to work within a few weeks.

The four-period day at Central Valley’s two high schools was the subject of some public comment at Monday’s meeting. The district is at the conclusion of a three-year trial of the 80-minute class schedule. Three residents spoke to the board, citing concerns that focused largely on scheduling.

The school board will discuss the four-period day at its next regular meeting, which is on May 8.

Architects Fred King and Steve McNutt brought illustrations and samples of brick, trim and carpet to the board meeting.

The illustrations stretched a good eight feet or more, showing full front elevations of the two new schools. The shades of brick differ slightly between the two schools.

Both are traditional red brick, but Central Valley High School’s is slightly darker than University High School’s.

Board member Patty Minnihan asked the representatives of Northwest Architectural Company if the district would get a better price if they simply went with one color.

The answer was no. The facade of each building will require three-eighths of a mile of brick. The orders are so large, McNutt said, that there would be no price break.

Exterior trim for the two schools is geared toward the school colors: CV Bears’ blue and the U-Hi Titans’ red. CV High’s trim will be a silver-blue. U-Hi’s trim will be grey tone with a bit of red.

The plans for both buildings are nearing completion. Bids for CV High will be requested first, with an opening date on July 20. U-Hi bids will be requested about five weeks later, with Aug. 24 as the opening day.

Officials expect ground-breaking at CV High in August. U-Hi’s ground-breaking will likely be in September.