La Conner Schools campaign plans to add Conway students

Conway remains on the La Conner Schools radar.

Faced with recent years of declining student enrollment, the driving force behind state funding of public schools, school district officials are resuming last year’s effort to recruit Conway students to the high school.

Conway, 11 miles southeast of La Conner, has an elementary school whose graduates attend Mount Vernon High School but have the option of Stanwood or La Conner.

“We’ll keep it going,” school board chair Susie Deyo said during board’s Nov. 13 hybrid study session of attempts to market to Conway students and families.

That discussion focused on generating an informational mailing for Conway families; potential visits to Conway classrooms by La Conner teachers and coaches, including band director McKenzie Clark; meetings between La Conner and Conway guidance counselors; hosting an open house on the La Conner campus; and combining Conway and La Conner youth sports teams when possible.

“The other schools (Mount Vernon and Stanwood) market to Conway families,” Deyo noted. “We haven’t done that before.”

A major selling point for La Conner could hinge on a policy of the Northwest 2B/1B League that allows eighth graders to play high school sports other than football.

“They would have greater access to multiple sports, including at the varsity level,” board member John Agen said.

“Eighth graders can play sports (in the NW2B/1B League),” Middle & High School Principal/Athletics Director Christine Tripp said. “Conway doesn’t fall under our umbrella, but their students can choose to come here with no penalty. Athletics might offer an option, but the question is whether Conway is a feeder school for us.”

Finance Director David Cram suggested the respective La Conner and Conway PTA organizations engage in a dialogue about Conway student attendance at the high school.

Cram provided board members an update on the district’s new athletics events fee schedule, adopted last month to comply with the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association, the governing body for school extracurricular programs.

Cram said the bulk of gate receipts goes to pay for game officials. Additional payments go to those who provide support services on game day, such as public address announcers.

“They don’t cover all our expenses,” said Cram, “but they put a big dent in it.”

Cram said he is in the process of developing a season pass option, one that would ease the financial burden for low-income persons and families.

“It’s something we need to look at and offer to our community,” said Cram.

In response to a question from Agen, Cram proposed engaging the La Conner booster club to develop a fund to help those with low incomes attend sports events here.

Superintendent Will Nelson reported that he had submitted requests to the Swinomish Tax Committee for $500,000 to cover educational programs maintenance and $100,000 for capital projects.

Nelson earlier introduced the district’s new MTSS (Multi-Tiered System of Support) Coordinator Danielle Peterson. “We’re really lucky to have her,” Nelson said, who has a background in instruction and educational administration.

Peterson is affiliated with the Northwest Educational Services District. She briefly described her role, which is funded by a three-year grant and introduced the MTSS concept – which is equity-based and designed to enhance academic performance, social-emotional learning and positive student behavior.

“She has surveyed teachers to find out what behaviors they’re seeing in their classes,” Nelson said.

Peterson started in October and has been working with principals Tripp and Heather Fakkema-Hovde to learn their top priorities.