Long school board meeting March 27

New La Conner School Board of Directors Loran James and Kim Pedroza hit the ground running last week in a two-hour marathon meeting.

James and Pedroza were appointed last month to fill sudden board vacancies. They did not have the luxury of taking time to get up to speed.

And despite the length, it was a relatively fast-paced session.

New ground was presented midway through in the form of a 30-minute presentation and proposal by Morgan Brown and Jen Willup of the Between Two Worlds indigenous science class to develop a native food medicine forest and barbecue pit behind the Bruce Performing Arts Building, north of the Little Braves Preschool.

The curriculum is funded through a Title VI Indian Education Grant.

The campus garden project, said Willup, would allow students to “get their hands in the dirt” and allow those from farm families to share their knowledge with school peers.

More important, students would learn first-hand the nutritional and healing properties of native foods, Brown and Willup noted.

Better yet, they said start-up money has been allocated to Between Two Worlds – which employs a project-based learning format – for the educational garden with the Swinomish Department of Environmental Protection being the tribal community’s representative in charge of maintenance. School district costs will cover water and electricity.

Another selling point, they said, is collaborating with other school garden clubs.

“We’d like to be able to bring our classes outside into that space,” Brown said. “The goal of this project is to provide this great space for students to experience growing these plants.”

The board vowed to revisit the proposal.

“You have a great idea here and we do have questions,” said board chair Susie Deyo, who asked that the matter advance to a board study session for review.

Though not stated directly, the native plant garden would appear to be the type of innovative project school officials are exploring as “pull factors” to boost district attendance during a period of statewide and national student enrollment declines.

Deyo identified the Braves Club as one already in place. The after-school program has a membership of 81 students and a daily average attendance of just under 60, according to data provided by Andy Wheeler, special services director. He said a new grant application for future funding is being prepared.

“I think having the Braves Club is a pull (for us),” Deyo said. “Parents know someone will be here helping their students with homework until they get off work.”

The revived Little Braves Preschool is likewise a potential enrollment pull factor, Superintendent Will Nelson said during a public forum at the Waterfront Café the week before.

“We’re looking at marketing ourselves and we reopened the Little Braves Preschool this year,” Nelson said. “Our feeling is that if we have a preschool, it’s most likely those students will matriculate into our kindergarten.”

Discussion turned to recognition of the historically significant milestones of Whittaker Field, which opened during the 1972-73 academic year. A May 3 ceremony will observe the golden anniversary of Whittaker Field’s dedication as part of a track meet.

The undefeated 1968 Braves football team, whose head coach, the late Jim Frey, was instrumental in the successful drive to install a lighted athletics field on the local campus, will also be recognized.

That team played afternoon home games since there were no stadium lights, which made attendance difficult for working parents and fans.

“We’re in the process of finalizing details,” La Conner Middle and High School Principal Christine Tripp said.

The field, named for the legendary one-armed La Conner coach and administrator Jack Whittaker, Family members are expected to attend.

“Our band will be performing,” Tripp added, “and we’re trying to make it a community gathering event.”

Board member John Agen, was a junior and the starting quarterback when the lights at Whittaker Field were first turned on and over the course of two seasons never experienced a loss there.

Retired La Conner Schools teacher and administrator Maureen Harlan, a friend and colleague of Frey’s, sought and received board approval to honor the ’68 team at the re-dedication ceremony.

“Mr. Frey,” Harlan told the board, “was the one who pushed hard to get the lighted field.”

In other school board business:

Wilbur was the unanimous choice to succeed Lynette Cram as board vice-president. Cram resigned last month when her husband, David Cram, returned to the district as its chief financial officer.

Nelson said he and district Teaching and Learning Assistant Director Beth Clothier have been in discussions with new Skagit Valley College President Chris Villa about a dual credit math collaboration that would allow La Conner students to be counted as full-time students here while also earning college credit through SVC. “It’s a win-win,” Nelson said.

Agen, the district’s liaison with the state legislature, lamented that the percentage of funding support from Olympia to public schools continues to dip despite a mandate that the state fully fund education. “It’s disappointing,” said Agen. “And exasperated by inflation,” Nelson concurred.

The high school basketball teams and coaches and the school’s cheerleaders and band were praised for having completed a successful winter season. The girls’ team placed fourth at the state 2B Hardwood Classic and the boys captured the bi-district championship and earned a berth to the state tourney’s Round of 16.