PORT ANGELES — Port Angeles School Board members recognized Hamilton Elementary for earning the state ESEA Distinguished School award from the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction.
The annual award is given for exceptional student performance and academic growth.
Deputy Superintendent Michelle Olsen said at the board meeting on Dec. 14 that Hamilton performed in the 97th percentile compared with similar schools with a high percentage of students from low-income families who qualified for the free and reduced lunch program.
The achievement was a team effort, she said.
“This is an incredible accomplishment. They have been working extremely hard,” Olsen said.
“It’s not just the staff, but also the students and then we have our parents and they are right there too, and together this partnership has created a school working together that is outperforming all these schools in the state of Washington.”
Hamilton Principal Gary Pringle said engaging and inspiring students so they excel and gain confidence is a key philosophy at the school.
“We have high expectations for both behavior and academics for all of our students,” said Pringle, who is in his 13th year at Hamilton.
“Every morning when we have our announcements, we begin with three phrases: we are here to learn, do our best and treat people with kindness.”
The Distinguished School honor comes with a $15,000 award. In 2019-2020, Hamilton was recognized as a National Distinguished School; it is the only school in the district to receive a distinguished school award.
The board also unanimously approved a general contractor/construction manager alternative contracting procedure for the Stevens Middle School renovation.
GC/CM allows a contractor to be involved in the project design when there are budget constraints and challenging site conditions, both of which apply to Stevens, said project manager Craig Fulton of Vanir Construction Management.
Among the advantages of GC/CM are that it will allow the district more flexibility in engaging a contractor during the design process, increase its ability to control costs and allow it to apply value engineering principles, the board was told.
It is a more complex contracting process and there are often more upfront costs for the contractor, Fulton said. The RFQ for GC/CM services is anticipated to go out soon.
Sworn in
Newcomers Kirsten Williams and Stan Williams (no relation) and returning member Sandy Long were sworn in during the board’s Dec. 14 meeting.
Clallam County Superior Court Judge Simon Barnhart administered the oath of office to the Nov. 7 general election winners.
Barnhart, who oversees the juvenile offender calendar, said he appreciates the role schools play in the students’ lives.
“I see every day the challenges that young people in our community face, whether arising out of difficulties at home or substance use issues or mental health issues,” Barnhart said. “Schools are very much the front line of the day-to-day support for these young people.
“We do what we can in the juvenile justice system, and much of what we count on arises out of the services of our teachers and our administrators,” he added.
Departing board members Jacob Wright and Katie Marks were honored in a short ceremony held before the meeting in the new Wildcat Cafe located in the former North Olympic Peninsula Skills Center at the district administration building.
Superintendent Marty Brewer said Wright and Marks’ tenure was marked by having been elected just three months before Gov. Jay Inslee mandated school closures across the state.
“It was a very trying time for our district,” Brewer said. “We put a priority on bringing students back to school, and you were always in that camp.”
Marks said it was both a challenging and a rewarding experience.
“Keeping students No. 1, that’s what it’s all about,” she said.
Also at the meeting:
• Hamilton sixth-graders Adley Church and Emma Kate Edwards received certificates as the district’s students of the month.
• The board unanimously re-elected Sarah Methner, who has served on the board since 2009, as president, and Long, who has served since 2016, as vice president.
Mary Hebert, who has served since 2021, was approved as legislative representative; Stan Williams as the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association representative; and Kirsten Williams and Long to serve on the district audit committee.
• The Port Angeles Paraeducators Association and the district have agreed to request a mediator when they resume bargaining in January after reaching an impasse over compensation.
The district continues to bargain with the Teamsters Local No. 589, which represents groundskeepers, maintenance and mechanics, and the Port Angeles Activities Advisors’ Association, which represents coaches.
Contracts with the bargaining units expired Aug. 31.
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Reporter Paula Hunt can be reached at paula.hunt@peninsuladailynews.com.
Sandy Long, left, was one of three Port Angeles School Board members sworn in by Clallam County Superior Court Judge Simon Barnhart on Dec. 14. Kirsten Williams and Stan Williams (no relation) also took the oath at the board’s meeting. (Paula Hunt/Peninsula Daily News)
Stan Williams, left, was one of three Port Angeles School Board members sworn in by Clallam County Superior Court Judge Simon Barnhart on Dec. 14. Sandy Long and Kirsten Williams (no relation) also took the oath at the board’s meeting. (Paula Hunt/Peninsula Daily News)