Enrollment is growing at Arlington Public Schools and the Operations
Department is coordinating two projects in response. Kent Prairie and
Eagle Creek Elementary Schools will receive improvements that will add
capacity to the school or free classroom space in the school. Other
projects underway
include improvements to site security and community safety.
Portable Classrooms- Kent Prairie and Stillaguamish Valley Learning Center
First up is the addition of two portable classroom buildings at Kent
Prairie Elementary School. Kent Prairie is expected to grow to 723
students in the 2018-19 school year from its current 664 students. To
accommodate the additional students, we will add two portable buildings
with two classrooms each. Site work began in June 2018 to prepare the
location for installation of the portable buildings. Preparation
includes installing storm water management structures (Kent Prairie is a
very wet site), leveling the site, adding a crushed rock base on which
to place the buildings, and installing electrical service. The project
cost estimate is $493,000, paid from growth
mitigation fees maintained in the district’s Capital Projects Fund and
collected by the district in the early part of this decade. Growth
mitigation fees can only be used for projects that respond to increases
in student enrollment, so this project fits that requirement.
At Stillaguamish Valley Learning Center, we’re adding water and sewer to
two existing portable buildings. Adding these services will allow the
Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program (ECEAP) to relocate
from its current home inside Eagle Creek Elementary School. ECEAP
students are
ages 3-4. The relocation frees up two classrooms inside Eagle Creek for
use by students in grades K-5. This project is partially funded by a
grant from Snohomish County, with the remainder provided by funds in the
district’s Capital Projects Fund.
Safety and Security Improvements
Security improvements in the works include fencing at Arlington High
School, Kent Prairie Elementary, and Stillaguamish Valley Learning
Center. Safety improvements include the resur
facing
of tennis courts at Arlington High School. The courts have their
original 2003 surface on them, which is worn and slick, creating
hazardous conditions for users. The United States Tennis Association
recommends resurfacing courts every five to 15 years depending on the
intensity of use. These courts experience high levels of use throughout
the year by physical education students, the school’s tennis teams, and
community members using the courts recreationally.
At the completion of these projects, resources available in the Capital
Projects Fund will be depleted to the point that other projects cannot
be initiated. We’ll continue to maintain our facilities to keep them in
safe and operating condition, but further additions or improvements will
be delayed until resources become available.