By Heidi Smith
The hallway at Evergreen Forest Elementary School in Lacey is covered with arrows leading students and staff from classroom to classroom. “We call it ‘Operation Arrow Overkill,’” Evergreen Forest Principal, Stephanie Hollinger, said. “This is a new hallway and teachers and students weren’t sure which way to go, so we put some arrows down for the start of the year to get the direction. The students do a nice job of following them.”
The hallway is part of a major overhaul and reconstruction project at the school, just one facet of the $175 million school bond that voters passed in 2014 for North Thurston Public Schools (NTPS). The bond will be used for everything from facility upgrades and renovations to new construction at existing sites, including an entirely new middle school slated to open in fall 2016. Safety and technology will also be part of the improvements.
On October 23, a group of local elected officials, school board representatives and community members joined NTPS Superintendent Raj Manhas, and Director of Construction and Design, Mike Laverty, for a tour of four sites in progress.
At Evergreen Forest Elementary, as part of a major reconstruction of the building and site, crews recently finished a complete reconstruction of the parking lot; adding more parking spaces and a lengthy pickup/drop off area for parents. A separate bus loading zone was also completed. A new front entrance, lobby and administration area are nearing completion. A number of classrooms have been recently remodeled, with the rest of the classrooms being remodeled in phases throughout the winter. The rest of the common areas, including the kitchen, gym and library, will be renovated next summer. A new eight classroom building, constructed of modular components, has also been added to the campus. This building will add classrooms while others are being renovated and will replace portable classrooms when the project is complete.
“On every project I see modular components and techniques being integrated into the traditional stick-built construction world. It just makes sense,” said Laverty. “Manufacturers can provide better quality control, and the components are almost never exposed to the elements. The construction is equal to, or in some instances, better than stick-built construction. It will last indefinitely with normal routine maintenance. This building is our latest generation of this concept.” The classrooms are larger, with more built-in casework. There are boys and girls restrooms, as well as separate restrooms for staff and visitors. There is also a workroom, storage room, generous hallways, custodial, mechanical and electrical spaces.
The new administration area at Evergreen Forest is at the front of the building for a reason, Laverty said. “Passive supervision is a big factor. The secretaries and the principal can see the parking lot and who’s coming and going,” he explained. “Good visibility is a priority. A lot of old schools had administration in the center of the building. Now we’re pulling them out to the front.”
While the construction is underway, classrooms have inevitably been disrupted, but Evergreen Forest Principal, Stephanie Hollinger, said the impact is being kept to a minimum. “The district has ensured that our construction project is actively managed so that there is minimal effect on the students and staff,” said Hollinger. “Safety for all is an overriding priority. Overall they’re really helpful.”
Hollinger said the project will enhance the school’s ability to deliver quality education. “We have better spaces for our programs and bigger spaces for our classrooms so that the students have more room to work,” she said. “We’ll have a music room that actually has a stage. Overall we’re creating capacity to accommodate anticipated growth in enrollment.” The additions and renovations are scheduled to be completed by September 2016.
Across town another project is underway at the Sleater-Kinney Annex. Formerly the site of an athletic club, the remodeled building will serve multiple purposes. Initially it will serve as a temporary home to the North Thurston High School (NTHS) physical education and athletic programs, while the nearby buildings are being renovated. This will shave an anticipated year off the construction schedule and save approximately $1 million. The school board has also decided that the building will become the new home of its Aspire Middle School for the Performing Arts (currently located on 54th Ave. SE, off Ruddell Rd). After the NTHS project is complete, the gym will be used for Aspire programs, as well as for other district and community use. With a portable stage, bleacher seating for 900, and 480 folding chairs on the floor, the gym will be able to hold a pretty big event as well.
Besides providing more suitable preforming arts facilities for Aspire, this move will free up the existing Aspire building and campus to become the district’s 14th elementary school. In addition to the use by NTHS and Aspire, there will be additional space that can house other school district needs. Meeting space, storage, other district programs, community use and professional development are all needs that are being studied. Currently, Superintendent Manhas said, the district regularly rents space from the City of Lacey, Saint Martin’s University and private providers to accommodate those purposes.
Aspire Principal, Courtney Crawford, said the move will make a huge difference for her students and staff. “We’re a performing arts school,” she said. “Right now band, orchestra and choir are all in portables outside. We have 48 students in one choir class and our orchestra is also huge. For teachers to be able to access the students for one-on-one instruction, they can barely even get through physically to help the kids set up their bows.” Being able to have all of the music rooms inside the building will benefit everyone, she said. Phase two of the Sleater-Kinney project is scheduled to be completed by September 2017.
As one middle school changes location, another entirely new school is under construction in the Campus Glen area of Lacey. The 19-acre campus of Salish Middle School includes a two-story building, main and auxiliary gyms, soccer and softball fields, and an athletic track. It will house 750 students and includes spaces for outdoor learning opportunities and a future greenhouse and garden courtyard.
Michelle Kolpinski went on the tour with her daughter, who will be attending the new school when it opens in fall 2016. “What I find very exciting is the STEM [Science Technology Engineering and Math] program,” Kolpinski said. “The principal told us there is going to be a lot of new technology. All of my daughters are interested in science and math and robotics.”
Around the district, other projects will be beginning and ending through September 2019, like the remodel that’s already underway at North Thurston High School. Overall the process has been rapid, Manhas said. “The City of Lacey has been great to work with. They’ve been very supportive.”
To learn more about the designs and project details, visit www.nthurston.k12.wa.us/construction.
