Proposed Facilities Concept Overview

Proposed Facilities Concept Addresses Growth 

Overcrowded schools, aging facilities and empty classrooms are the challenges addressed in a proposal unveiled by the Central Valley School District in November 2004. The proposed facilities concept is designed to address school building needs throughout the district, over the next six to eight years.

Central Valley School District spent four months (November 2004 – February 2005) gathering community input on the Proposed Facilities Concept, which includes remodeling and updating six schools, building two new schools, and relocating and transitioning several schools across the 80 square-mile district.

For more than 10 years, Central Valley School District has enjoyed a comfortable average enrollment growth rate of less than one percent per year. Growth began to accelerate several years ago, as dropping interest rates fueled increased residential development. More than 11,600 students are currently served by the district. This figure is expected to increase to about 12,800 students by 2008.

Central Valley School District serves the community with 22 schools providing academic and enrichment programs for students in grades K-12, as well as pre-school programs. All but four of the district’s schools are located west of Sullivan Road. However, much of the residential and enrollment growth is occurring east of Sullivan Road.

Immediate Facilities Challenges

• Greenacres and Liberty Lake Elementary schools are over capacity. More elementary school capacity is needed in the eastern part of the district.
• Some elementary schools in the western part of the district are under-utilized including Chester, Ponderosa and South Pines.
• Central Valley High, University High, Bowdish and Greenacres Middle schools are projected to exceed capacity by 2008.
• Several older schools need to be updated. Students in these schools cannot access the most current technology and other building improvements are needed to enhance student learning.

Planning for growth and facilities needs is not new to the school district. More than 20 years ago, the district purchased property that will one day hold the third high school, another middle school and an elementary school.

Central Valley School District approaches capital facilities planning in on-going, multi-year increments through community-based committees. Each committee has examined current and future issues related to the school buildings and the creation of a quality learning environment for students.

The new Proposed Facilities Concept is based in large part on the recommendations of the district’s three most recent community-based facilities committees: Long Range Planning Committee (1999), Facilities Reconfiguration Committee (2001) and the Community Linkages Committee (2003-present). Click here to read about these committees.

Concept Components

Based on the current facilities challenges faced by the district, as well as the recommendations of the community-based planning committees, the components of the Proposed Facilities Concept include:

• Acquire a centrally-located site and relocate some Barker Center programs, including the alternative high school [note: The relocation of Barker Center programs has been placed on hold as an option for Fall 2005]
• Create a Kindergarten Center at Barker Center to house Liberty Lake and Greenacres Elementary kindergarten classes
• Build new elementary school in the Greenacres attendance area of the district
• Remodel Opportunity Elementary 
• Remodel Greenacres Elementary 
• Remodel Ponderosa Elementary 
• Transition Chester Elementary to a flexible use facility to help accommodate overcrowding and enrollment growth at neighboring University High School
• Remodel Evergreen Middle School 
• Add classrooms to Broadway Elementary
• Build a new middle school in Liberty Lake
• Add parking and air conditioning to University Elementary
• Complete minor capital projects in selected schools throughout the district
• Relocate North Pines Middle School

Next Steps

Dozens of community meetings and presentations about the Proposed Facilities Concept took place during the four-month public comment period. Information about the concept and a short survey were sent to the families of all Central Valley students and written feedback was repeatedly encouraged from all patrons of the Central Valley School District.

Hundreds of written comments were submitted. These comments are being compiled and analyzed by the Community Facilities Review Committee, a nine-member group of citizen volunteers. Later this month, the committee will make recommendations about the Proposed Facilities Concept to the School Board, based on the comments received from Central Valley School District residents. The Board will consider the input and decide on the next steps for addressing student housing needs in the Central Valley School District.

For more information, contact us.