Aaron Reno, a fifth-grade math teacher at Greywolf Elementary School, teaches out of the Sequim school’s library due to a lack of classroom space. He made a formal request to school board members at the Dec. 3 meeting asking them to look into more housing options to create more space for elementary school teachers and students. (Erin Hawkins/Olympic Peninsula News Group)

Aaron Reno, a fifth-grade math teacher at Greywolf Elementary School, teaches out of the Sequim school’s library due to a lack of classroom space. He made a formal request to school board members at the Dec. 3 meeting asking them to look into more housing options to create more space for elementary school teachers and students. (Erin Hawkins/Olympic Peninsula News Group)

Portable problems persist in Sequim schools

With classroom space still an issue, district looks to future projects

SEQUIM — Classroom space — or lack thereof — continues to be an issue at Sequim schools, particularly for at least one teacher at Greywolf Elementary School.

Aaron Reno, a fifth-grade math teacher at Greywolf who teaches his two classes out of the school’s library, made a formal request to the board during public comments at a Dec. 3 meeting, asking board members to look into options to create more space for elementary school students and teachers.

“We’re packed out at Greywolf,” Reno said. “We’re not going to have classrooms for our teachers.”

Reno said he has taught his classes out of the library since the beginning of the school year and does not know when another classroom space will be available.

In an email before the Dec. 3 meeting, Reno said he has 26 students in one class and 25 in another.

“I don’t have a desk, closet, sink, drinking fountain, space to grade, I don’t have a classroom. We can’t put student work up, no charts like place value or multiplication tables,” he said.

“Simple things like coat hooks don’t exist so backpacks and coats are all over the floor creating a hazard. Trying to teach math in these conditions is difficult at best.”

Reno said he faces constant interruptions while trying to teach out of the library, which also interrupts lessons the librarian is trying to teach.

“Kids are checking out books while I am teaching. Literally, random kids going behind me to get the book of choice while I am teaching. There is zero space,” he said.

“I can do it, but it isn’t right. Kids deserve a school. Kids deserve space. Kids deserve a classroom. Greywolf is growing and this problem isn’t going away.”

District officials purchased two portables from Central Kitsap School District in July — one to be set at Helen Haller Elementary School and another at Greywolf — but they are not yet ready for students. The portables would create two new classrooms at each elementary school.

In previous interviews, Sequim Schools Superintendent Gary Neal said establishing fire suppression and fiber optics capabilities at Olympic Peninsula Academy’s (OPA) six portables is the district’s first priority before tending to other portables in the district.

Neal said at the Dec. 3 meeting that OPA’s fire suppression and fiber optics capability is in the process of installation.

“Fire suppression and fiber optics should be done by January,” Neal said.

Future school projects

At the end of the meeting, Neal gave a presentation to the board in response to a request board members sent the superintendent after the Nov. 19 regular meeting at Greywolf Elementary School. Neal was not present for the Nov. 19 meeting.

The request asked the superintendent for “next steps” regarding the district’s future capital projects.

In Neal’s presentation, he detailed the history of the district’s several failed bond proposals, specifically a $55 million construction bond proposal Neal developed in 2016 but was later retracted after school board directors did not approve the plan.

Neal also outlined the current capital projects levy that was approved by voters in a special election in 2017 to deconstruct the 1949 portions of the Sequim Community School and rebuild the district’s central kitchen at a cost of about $5.7 million over a three-year period (2018-21).

The Sequim Community School is set to be demolished by the end of December and the new central kitchen is expected to be up and running by January 2019.

At the end of the presentation, Neal left it up to board members to give him direction as to how to proceed with capital projects going forward, asking, “If another capital levy, how much and for what?” and, “If a construction bond, what amount?”

No board members made comments after Neal’s presentation, but in an interview after the board meeting president Brian Kuh said there was a miscommunication on the timing of when the response was expected to be given.

“I didn’t expect the superintendent to address [the request] at the board meeting; however, it did start the dialogue as far as what’s next,” Kuh said.

“We wanted to check in as a board to talk about that, especially since the community school project is continuing to come to an end.”

Kuh said board members will discuss possible capital project workshops or public meeting dates at the next board meeting, set for 6 p.m. this Monday at Helen Haller Elementary School’s library, 350 W. Fir St.

Kuh said he is interested to see what the public wants going forward following construction of a new district kitchen and demolition of the Sequim Community School.

“We want to have some level of discussion touching base with what those facility needs are,” Kuh said.

“I’m personally excited about coming toward the tail end of this phase. We’ve witnessed these very punctuated facility needs.”

The board met in a special meeting last Monday, and then met in executive session to review the performance of a public employee with no action taken.

________

Erin Hawkins is a reporter with the Olympic Peninsula News Group, which is composed of Sound Publishing newspapers Peninsula Daily News, Sequim Gazette and Forks Forum. Reach her at ehawkins@sequimgazette.com.

More in News

Fred Rix of Port Angeles, right, looks over floral arrangements with Ann O’Neill, an employee of Angel Crest Gardens of Port Angeles at a temporary stand at First and Race streets in Port Angeles on Valentine’s Day. Rix said he wanted roses for his wife, Wendy Rix, for their 55th wedding anniversary. (Keith Thorpe/Peninsula Daily News)
Valentine’s roses

Fred Rix of Port Angeles, right, looks over floral arrangements with Ann… Continue reading

Port Angeles-owned Lancashire Heeler “Ki” poses with handler and co-owner Chelsy Pendleton of Utah with their ribbon. Ki placed as Best of Opposite Sex at the 149th annual Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show.
PA dog places at famous show

Lancashire Heeler wins ribbon at Westminster

x
Nominations open for Community Service awards

Forms due March 25; event scheduled for May 1

Poplars to be removed in spring

Boat Yard expansion part of larger project

Jeffco Aquatic Coalition launches pool survey

Results intended to inform design process

Voters approving all Peninsula school measures

Sequim bond passing with required supermajority

A snow-covered Mount Angeles is seen from Black Diamond Road a few miles south of Port Angeles. While the Peninsula has seen temperatures below freezing this week, a warming trend is expected by this weekend with highs reaching the upper 40s and overnight lows in the 30s. (Dave Logan/for Peninsula Daily News)
Winter snowscape

A snow-covered Mount Angeles is seen from Black Diamond Road a few… Continue reading

JoAnn declares bankruptcy; Port Angeles store to close

The Joann fabrics and crafts store in Port Angeles… Continue reading

Cheri Sanford of Port Angeles, right, hands a piece of metal debris to her grandson, Damien Millet, 9, after it was located with a metal detector and dug from the sand at Hollywood Beach in Port Angeles on Wednesday. They were combing the beach in search of whatever hidden treasures they could find. (Keith Thorpe/Peninsula Daily News)
Beach combing

Cheri Sanford of Port Angeles, right, hands a piece of metal debris… Continue reading

Six Peninsula school measures passing

Sequim voters approve bond, levy