It's settled: The new middle school will be built

By ELIZABETH CIEPIELA

Staff writer

For Federal Way parents and voters, the answer to the $17 million dollar question came unexpectedly and reassuringly Tuesday night: Yes, the voter-approved middle school will be built and ready to open for the 2005 school year.

Federal Way School Board member Earl VanDorien Jr. requested to modify the agenda of the board meeting and move the middle school action up for an early decision.

“We’ve had a lot of people say that if the board does not affirm this school (project) before the Feb. 3 levies, they’re going to find it difficult to support giving us more money when we don’t do what we say we’re going to do with the money,” VanDorien said.

And board member Bob Millen supported the motion.

“I recognized that we need another school, a middle school in that area,” Millen said. “To me, there is no doubt that there will be tremendous growth in that area some day. Right now, we’re overcrowded in several middle schools by over a thousand students.”

Ultimately the middle school was approved by a 3-1 vote. Board member Charles Hoff voted against it, stating security concerns for the school site at 32nd Avenue South and South 360th Street near Five Mile Lake.

He added, “At this point I have not seen any evidence that we have the money to operate this school without reducing already meager programs in other schools.”

He also opposed an early board vote.

“We had made a decision to do this on Feb. 10, and that was in deference to one of our board members (Evelyn Castellar) who wasn’t going to be here (Tuesday). And I saw no reason to change that,” Hoff said.

Barney, widely perceived as the tie-breaker between the Hoff-Castellar against camp and the Millen-VanDorien build-it votes, ultimately decided to support the middle school.

“In the hot seat? No,” Barney said of his role and his decision. “I looked at (the issue) and said in order for me to be fiscally responsible, I refuse to cut more programs. I’m not looking to reduce the education these kids are getting.”

He was referring to the $1 million it will cost annually to operate the new middle school. With the state’s budget balancing act on the back of education and the district’s $6.4 million budget slash last year, finding that extra million — without cutting into even more educational programs — was Barney’s concern.

So after examining three options for funding the school’s operations with school district superintendent Tom Murphy and chief financial officer Sally McLean, Barney was satisfied no other educational programs would suffer, he said.

Castellar, who is out of the country, was not at Tuesday’s meeting.

To many, the decision is a relief.

“I am proud of the voters in this district because they understand how important schools are to the community,” said Teri Hickel, president of Citizens for Federal Way Public Schools, an independent organization that campaigns for school-related propositions.

“Elections can be confusing, but our voters are educated and work hard to understand the issues,” she said. “I don’t think this will affect (next Tuesday’s) levy election. Our voters understand that the two issues on the ballot won’t raise taxes and will provide materials, teachers, and instruction in the classroom.”

The pro-school organization’s vice president, Audrey Germanis, said the School Board’s middle school decision increases the levies’ chances of passing.

“People feel they have a voice” and that the board listened. And I think this will have a really positive effect on the levies,” Germanis said.

Citizen James Burbidge shared his support for the middle school during the board meeting this week, urging the board to uphold the public’s trust and carry out 1999 voters’ wishes.

“The education of the youth of America matters to me,” Burbidge said after the meeting. “The young man or woman who is going to perform open heart surgery on me may be a sophomore in school now, and I want that person to be well-educated.”

Staff writer Elizabeth Ciepiela: 925-5565, eciepiela@fedwaymirror.com

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