Bellingham Public Schools
Kulshan Middle School Field Ad Hoc Committee
Purpose:
- Research and recommend modifications to the Kulshan playfield area, including a new turf field.
Basis for Establishment:
- The Bellingham Promise commits our district to developing students who are healthy and active individuals. A play surface that is usable despite wet conditions extends the amount of the school year that students can play field sports and have PE outside.
- The bond issue approved by Bellingham voters in 2022 supports improvements to playfields.
- Project Free Education led our district to offer all extra-curricular middle school sports to students at no cost, which has had a dramatic impact on the number of students participating in We are proud of the number of students who join school teams in our middle schools and want to upgrade our athletic facilities so they can meet the need of student use.
- The Kulshan Middle School playfield is large and largely unusable for much of the fall, winter and spring due to standing water. Kulshan will be our first middle school to have a turf field installed. It’s important to engage a broad range of stakeholders in the research and recommendation process.
Decision-Making Process:
- Recommendations will be presented to the superintendent.
Responsibilities:
- Review best practice research with regard to turf field materials and construction, especially as relates to middle school use.
- Review proposals for traffic patterns and field use for a variety of stakeholders/users: students during the school day; students before and after school; community activity and athletic groups; individual community member use before, during and after school day.
- Recommend wayfinding signage and security infrastructure and processes for new playfield.
- Recommend a design for a new KMS playfield, including a turf field, to the superintendent.
Budget Implications:
Recommended modifications to the KMS playfield will be supported by fund from the 2022 bond measure. Recommendations must align with funds designated for upgrades to activity/athletic facilities.