Back in September, CK Financial Director Doug Newell led a meeting discussing the plan for a new school building, with completion intended for 2019 and a bond scheduled for February. “I cannot wait to see the CKHS in ten years,” said senior Jon Buholz.
Several schools in the CK District were built sometime between 1959 and 1979 and need to be replaced or modernized, including Brownsville Elementary, Cottonwood Elementary, and Fairview Middle School.
CKHS, however, was built in 1942 and needs to be replaced more than any other school in the district. The school needs new and improved heating, ventilation, air conditioning, plumbing, elevators, light fixtures, and more.
Newell explained that the current plans all require at least $120 million dollars. However, any school that was built before 1992 is eligible for state funding assistance.
“This is something that needs to happen, because the building is about eighty years old. You have to replace the building,” science teacher Kenneth Henrichsen explained. “ And waiting until there’s a pipe that bursts and the school gets flooded, costing more than the building is worth, or waiting until there’s a fire that burns the building down? At some point, the building is going to get condemned. We should replace it before then.”
Henrichsen was being somewhat ironic, in that the pipe bursting scenario already happened last spring, causing thousnad of dollars of damage to the library and the theater.
Also, the HVAC system has been a continual headache this winter, with numerous complaints from teachers and students about rooms being too cold or too hot for comfort.
Many of the proposed building plans included a shared school, similar to Klahowya, to be built between the current CK middle and CK high school properties.Calligraphy and Civics teacher Laura Jackson said, “I have mixed feelings about it. I’ll miss it because I’ve worked here so long, but I’m happy because the students deserve a new school.”
However, many students have expressed their desire to keep the schools apart.
Sophomore Molly Geisbrecht said, “I think that there are some parts of the school that definitely need to be rebuilt and renovated, but I really like how the school is right now. It has a nice, comfortable environment, and I think that it really feels like ‘home.’”
Newell acknowledged the attachment people have to CKHS, explaining his belief that members of the local community would not be very excited about a Klahowya style school.
Auto shop teacher Tyler Hunt said, “The advantages of a shared high and middle school are more curricular agreement, cost savings, and a much easier time taking high school level courses for advanced students.”
One of the main causes of dissent is the possibility that some teachers would need to share classrooms. Many believe it isn’t fair to teachers or students. Not only could this make learning more difficult, teachers would be forced to use passing period to get between classrooms instead of using that time to prepare for their next period.
“From a teacher’s point of view, I don’t think there are any pros (to sharing a classroom),” said Henrichsen. “Having your own space where you can put stuff up, it helps you do your job instead of having to move from room to room. For example, I’ve got a lab set up. Do you think if I have to move that from room to room I’m going to do as many labs?”
Henrichsen continued, “If I’m adjusting how I run my classroom, if I’m not doing as many labs, that affects the students. If I realize, ‘Oh! I don’t have such and such!’ Then I have to run out of the classroom and that takes time away from the students.”
While sharing a school is the cheapest and most effective plan, sixth graders would be in the same building as seniors, which brings an entire other host of problems. Leadership teacher Katie Staker said, I’m concerned about the [shared] common space.”
“I have four younger siblings who will be attending this school. So far, I have had a great experience at Central Kitsap High School, and I want all of my siblings to have the same experience,” Giesbrecht commented.
Most of the plans involve at the very least a shared commons space including cafeterias and gyms as well as a revamped theater arts facility. With any option there is the possibility and likelihood of getting a turf field and other adjustments at both the high school and middle school.
Senior Brayden Howard said, “ I think it’s a great idea. If they manage to include a pool, I will fail high school as many times as it takes just to be given the opportunity to swim there.”
“I feel most of the student body is uninformed about the new school building, especially the freshmen who will be affected the most since they are the class of 2019 and the building will be completed in fall of 2019,” shared senior Abraham Shim.
District leaders estimate that the tax rate, now at $5.21 per $1,000 of a home’s value, would remain the same if the bond and levy measures are approved in February. The bond will pay to rebuild CKHS, among other projects. The levy will fund numerous daily operations costs not funded by the state.