News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area
News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area
Nespelem School District board members perform a ceremonial groundbreaking for construction of the district's new CTE building Monday morning as students and staff observe from behind the construction site fence. From left with shovels are Directors Jarae Cate, Nancy Armstrong-Montes, President Jolene Marchand, Anna Vargas, and tribal elder Andy Joseph Jr., who performed a smudging to bless the grounds first. Superintendent Dr. Effie Dean is at right. Mark Herndon, who is the Alternative Learning coordinator and high school assistant principal, watches with some older students through the open gate. - Scott Hunter photo
An architect's illustration of the CTE building stands in the school foyer. Under construction now, the CTE facility will initially house an auto shop class and will expand to more offerings. The district is coordinating the Colville Tribes for real-world experience for students.
by Scott Hunter
Nespelem School District ceremonially broke ground on construction of their new CTE building Monday morning as the whole school looked on.
Nespelem's high school closed in 1956 as the state consolidated schools, sending local students to high school in Coulee Dam. The district's board of directors has long expressed their current dissatisfaction with the arrangement, thinking some of their students were not thriving in the neighboring system.
Board President Jolene Marchand said in her remarks Monday that Nespelem youth were saying they didn't want to go to another town to attend high school.
"We listened to them," she said.
A change of superintendents brought Dr. Effie Dean in to lead the district. Marchand credited her with finding a way to make it happen.
It happened, in total, a little more quickly than originally planned. The preK-8 school had planned to bring back upper grades one at a time over four years. But community demand led to more innovation.
The district added an ALE (Alternative Learning Environment) program and online courses, worked with the Colville Tribes for hands-on mentoring programs and launched several CTE (Career and Technical Education) paths that student can take, including automotive classes, welding classes and construction classes. And they're learning culinary and service skills in a new "café" program.
With the addition of older students, sports were not to be left out of the picture, and the district now offers several sports for students.
The ALE program was expanded through 12th grade, which the state said required them to provide all 12 grades in the regular school, too.
Dean said in August enrollment had gone from 120 to 195. For now, they're making it all work with available space in the school and a revamped portable classroom module. Adding the CTE building will give a proper home and classroom space to the current auto shop class, and give space to grow the offerings.
Dean has said seven classes have been approved in the CTE program, with at least three eligible for dual credits - that is, high school and college credits.
The board approved in August a total construction bid of $1,437,000 for Lakes General construction company to build it. Cameron Golightly, of Studio+ is the architect on the project. Golightly designed the Lake Roosevelt Schools building in Coulee Dam.
Reader Comments(0)