A Message from Superintendent Greg Baker

Dear staff, families, students and community members,

As we approach the end of the school year, I want to share some updates about our budget for next year and a few construction projects around our district.

Update on budget planning for 2023-24

We will continue to refine next year’s budget into the summer as we get more clarity on our funding from the state. State funding is complex and it generally takes many weeks, if not longer, for Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) to share official numbers with districts after the legislature finishes its session. In the meantime, here are a few good news updates:

• We have received more funding for Special Education, which means we were able to add back certificated and classified staffing to support our students, including additional temporary hours for some of our paraeducators who work with students with complex needs.
• Due to additional retirements and resignations, we will be able to place all 19 paraeducators whose jobs were reduced by more than one hour or eliminated into equivalent positions.
• We will continue to fund Mountain School for all fifth graders as a two-night trip, thanks to grant funding.
• Retirements, resignations and leaves of absence have also allowed us to hire back over a dozen certificated staff and re-instate a number of hours for paraeducators, reducing the number of folks who lose their jobs or have their hours cut.

While overall the budget is still challenging, I am encouraged that some of our planned reductions are not as deep as originally expected. I really appreciate the feedback I have received from so many of you and the hours staff have devoted to this difficult work.

Construction updates

We regularly share updates related to our district’s construction projects, including schools and other facilities. These improvements are possible thanks to voter support of our recent bonds, including the bond that was on the ballot in February 2022. We refer to the adage “bonds are for building” to help remember that bond funds can be used for capital projects, like schools and remodels, but not to pay for other expenses, like teacher or paraeducator salaries.

Updates on Elementary 15, new District Office

• We have selected BNBuilders as general contractor for the new Elementary School 15, which will be built off East Bakerview. Earlier this school year, we convened a design advisory committee for the new school and held a community meeting in February to listen to input from and engage with King Mountain neighbors. We plan to share drawings and renderings with our community in the summer or fall. Our current plan is for the school to serve as a temporary home for a school community while its neighborhood school is under construction; for example Carl Cozier, Columbia and Roosevelt with a future bond(s).  Once the new replacement schools open, our current thinking is to open elementary 15 as a neighborhood school. As always, we will refine our plans as needed. Construction will begin next summer.
• Great progress is happening on the new District Office on Barkley Boulevard, which will include an Early Learning Center and Professional Development Center for staff and community. We plan to open in early 2024. In 2019, we purchased the land on Barkley Boulevard after engaging with community, staff, families/parents and neighbors.  

More bond-funded projects: Community Transitions, tennis courts and more

• The 2022 bond has funds designated to design and build a new space for our Community Transitions (CT) program, which serves students receiving Special Education services through the age of 21. We are still exploring options to build on a college campus. CT has outgrown its current space within Bellingham High School and will be temporarily housed at WECU’s Birchwood branch on Birchwood Avenue starting next school year.
• We have broken ground on new tennis courts at Squalicum High School and anticipate starting construction at Bellingham High’s tennis courts this summer. A reminder to our community that our courts, fields and tracks are available for community use outside of school and team hours. We are targeting early fall for completion. Funding for tennis court improvements at SQHS and BHS were included in the 2018 bond, which includes rebuilding and resurfacing all current courts, adding an additional court at each school and LED lights.
• We are looking forward to building a new playground at Silver Beach Elementary this summer, and our goal is to be open in time for the new school year. The playground will follow our model of installing an inclusive, beautiful playground. In addition, we will be installing new electronic reader boards at Silver Beach and Lowell Elementary.
• Look for construction crews this summer who are making improvements to Cordata Elementary’s parking lot and interior signage features. Crews will be adding four classrooms at Kulshan Middle School this summer and through next school year. The exterior of Cordata and Northern Heights will be getting fresh coats of paint this summer. These projects are funded by the 2022 bond.

We are so grateful for your support of our district. Let me know if you have any questions or comments on our budget or any of these projects around our community.

Greg Baker