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PSD Connectivity
Dedicated to excellence
January 29, 2016
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| Maplewood 5th- and 6th-grade student perform at January 19 school board meeting |
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Puyallup students will perform at state conference
Music teachers and administrators from across the state of Washington will gather in Yakima over the mid-winter break to participate in the 43rd annual
Washington Music Educators Association (WMEA) conference. A highlight of the four-day event will include the performances of student musicians who are there by invitation only. This year, there will be two performing groups representing Puyallup: The
Maplewood Elementary Marimba Band, and the
Rogers High School Concert Choir.
Formally known as Maplewood Elementary Mustang Marimba Madness, the 19-member band is made up of 5th- and 6th-grade students and is led by Maplewood's general music teacher,
Maggie Smith.
This group has been working hard to prepare for their special 25 minute performance on Friday, February 11 just prior to the keynote speaker. They practice twice a week during their lunch recess. Pieces performed include traditional songs from Zimbabwe and original compositions by composers writing in the style of Zimbabwean marimba.
At the January 19 regularly scheduled school board meeting, the marimba band performed for the Board of Directors and audience. Their performance was well received and provided a great rehearsal for their Yakima concert.
The Rogers High School Concert Choir has also been invited to perform at the annual state conference. Under the direction of
Justin Wisness, the concert choir will perform six pieces as part of the WMEA Choir Concert.
"It's a tremendous honor to be selected to sing at the WMEA Conference," says Wisness. "These students have worked very hard and I am so proud of them."
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Move of sixth-grade students may be postponed
The Puyallup School Board is considering a postponement of the move of sixth grade students from Woodland, Sunrise, and Shaw Road elementary schools to nearby junior high campuses.
Kim Greger, whose son is a Woodland fifth grade student, has been preparing for her son's move to Aylen beginning this fall. "It was a sigh of relief," said Greger when she learned of the possible postponement. "I know the district wants what is best for students. Staying at Woodland would be to their benefit."
Greger understands that overcrowding may require the school board to make difficult decisions, but is happy that they are considering a one year postponement.
During the 2014-15 school year, due to continued growth and overcrowding in the Puyallup School District, the Board of Directors approved a three-year plan which included moving Zeiger Elementary sixth graders to Ballou Junior High. The adopted plan impacts Woodland, Sunrise, and Shaw Road sixth graders beginning the fall of 2016.
Woodland sixth grade students are slated to attend Aylen Junior High beginning this fall. In addition, sixth-graders at Sunrise and Shaw Road are scheduled to attend Ferrucci Junior High.
Families were prepared for this adjustment during the 2014-15 school year. Superintendent Tim Yeomans, along with several district and school administrators held parent forums in each of the above elementary schools to answer questions and prepare students and families for the change.
At a school board study session held Friday, January 22, Assistant Superintendent Casey Cox provided an enrollment update for the directors, presenting options for their consideration. One option postpones the move of sixth graders until the fall of 2017.
Cox reminded board members of the commitment made to re-examine enrollment at each school annually before proceeding with the planned move of sixth grade students. Board President Dane Looker noted this agreement and expressed interest in the "potential capacity for students to stay at their school for one more year."
This makes parents like Tina Segura, another Woodland parent, very happy. "Woodland has so much to offer," says Segura. "They [the students] would be missing out on so much."
Segura says she understands the numbers are going to continue to grow, but is pleased the school board will review actual enrollment in each building each year. Her hope is for fewer transitions from school to school.
Read the entire article, including all options being considered on the PSD website.
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Demographer predicts 1,500 more students by 2020
At the January 19 school board meeting directors heard a report from Dr. Les Kendrick of
Educational Data Solutions. Kendrick provides demographic analysis and enrollment projections for the Puyallup School District on an annual basis.
Kendrick reports Puyallup to have some of the biggest K-12 enrollment gains in Pierce County with an increase of 454 students, along with Bethel (482) and Sumner (190) school districts.
The Puyallup School District currently serves 16.5 percent of the public school market in Pierce County. With a projected increase of 7,000 students in Pierce County in the next five years, this means a likely increase of at least 1,200 students for the school district.
This growth in enrollment is due, in part, to an increase in average annual births in Pierce County. Because of a spike in births in 2010-11, many kindergarten students were registered this past fall, and the increase is likely to be maintained this coming fall.
In addition, Kendrick reports the Puyallup area has become sought after for new home construction, with over 3,000 new homes in some process of development within the district boundary area. Most of these homes are single family homes.
In the Puget Sound area, on average, 100 new single family homes produce about 50 students. In the Puyallup area, 100 single family homes produce 75 students. "This higher than average share," Kendrick reports, "is more like that of the Issaquah area."
Because of the significant increase in new construction of single family homes in our area, Kendrick suggests the district is likely to see 1,500 more students by 2020.
Kendrick noted that his report was quite similar to that which was given in the recent past. Directors have known of this kind of data for some time, and were prompted to place a School Construction and Facility Improvements bond on the General Election ballots on November 3, 2015.
The district's Capital Construction Department has begun work on three elementary school buildings which are slated to open in the fall of 2019.
See Dr. Kendrick's complete slideshow.
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Every Connection Counts!
The next issue of Puyallup School District's newsletter Connections will begin arriving in mailboxes next week. The publication has been redesigned with more pictures and graphics and contains articles of interest to all stakeholders.
We know that a number of parents and community members maintain a preference for printed communications and could miss important information if all information was shared digitally. So, Connections will be printed three times each year and mailed to over 53,000 homes.
The newest issue of Connections will focus heavily on the "next steps" taken after passage of the November 3, 2015 bond election. Readers will find updates on architects chosen, educational specifications being updated, bonds being sold, and see plans for the three elementary school construction projects slated for completion in 2019.
Watch for your copy!
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Board Highlights
At their regularly scheduled meeting on Tuesday, January 19, the Puyallup School District Board of Directors met for their final meeting at Aylen Junior High School. Beginning February 1, and continuing through the 2015-16 school year, the board meetings will be held at
Stahl Junior High School.
During the District Highlights portion of the meeting students from Maplewood Elementary performed in a marimba band. See the story above. In addition, Rick Wells, director of athletics, health, and fitness was honored as the West Central District Region III Athletic Director of the Year. See the story on the
district website.
Directors were presented the first reading of several policies under revision including:
- Policy 2150 - Co-Curricular Program
- Policy 2151 - Interscholastic Athletics & Activities Eligibility
- Policy 3110 - Qualifications of Enrollment and Grade Placement
- Policy 3120 - Enrollment
- Policy 3121 - Compulsory Attendance
- Policy 3141 - Nonresident Students
- Policy 3143 - District Notification of Juvenile Offenders
- Policy 3230 - Student Privacy and Searches
Second reading will take place at the February 1 school board meeting.
Several reports were presented to directors including:
- Business Services - Transportation update (see story below).
- Instruction and Learning - Alternative Routes to Teacher Certification (see story in this issue of Connectivity).
- Operations - District Standard Educational Specifications (see story on PSD website: Updating the district "Ed Specs" has begun.
- Business Services - 2016-2017 Enrollment Projections (see story above).
- Business Services - November 30, 2015 Financial Statements.
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Transportation department improves efficiencies
At the January 19 school board meeting Director of Transportation Cathy McDaniel and Chief Financial Officer Corrine Pennington presented the directors with an update on the changes which have taken place.
Student transportation protocols prevent students from being left at bus stops in the morning, and allow for before school care pick-up for homes within the attendance area. During drop-off, kindergarten students are not released alone - there must be an adult or other students present. Protocol requires that students are dropped off at assigned stops.
In an effort to create greater efficiency in operations the district has implemented a new routing system, and has installed both GPS and video equipment on buses. A new fleet management inventory system, improved lighting, interior paint, and re-organization of parts and supplies has improved efficiencies for mechanics in the shop.
A fleet replacement and sustainability project was begun in the spring of 2014 with the
goal of having 100% of the district's regular buses on a depreciation schedule. Fiscally, this provides a self-sustaining cycle of new vehicles which increases safety and operational efficiency.
Thanks to one-time funding allocations from the general fund, and grants acquired from both the Department of Ecology, and Environmental Protection Agency, 64 buses have been purchased. As a result, the district's fleet will serve all existing bus routes with buses on a depreciation schedule.
State inspections of the district's fleet of vehicles take place twice annually. Full inspections take place each summer. Over the course of the past four years, inspections have improved to an all-time record rate of 99.4% passage. Pennington credits this to the improved condition of the fleet as well as the improved shop and equipment mechanics have with which to work.
The school district currently has a state calculated efficiency rating of 63% (as of February of 2015). Factors taken into consideration when making this calculation include resource usage, number of students on each bus, and geographical constraints. "To improve this efficiency rate," stated Pennington, "we need to maximize the number of students on the fewest number of buses." She recommends reducing inventory, updating the fleet, and analyzing the district's bell schedule.
The Puyallup School District is looking for qualified friendly bus drivers. Visit the PSD Human Resources website to learn about the application process.
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Kindergarten information meetings scheduled
Parents with children starting kindergarten in September 2016 are invited to an information meeting during the month of February. Participants will learn about kindergarten in general, discuss kindergarten readiness and find out about registration details.
Meetings are held regionally to accommodate families. Please find the hosting site assigned to your attendance area by visiting the
Puyallup School District website.
All meetings will follow the same format, so if you are unable to attend on the date assigned to your home school then please feel free to choose another.
Families will not be registering their child(ren) for kindergarten at this meeting.
Kindergarten registration begins March 15, 2016.
Hosting schools include:
Spanish presentation/
Presentación Español
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Message from the superintendent
As the end of the first semester approaches, Dr. Tim Yeomans thanks teachers, para-educators and families for the effort to support students in their growth. Take less than two minutes to watch this encouraging message from the superintendent.
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See what's happening on our social sites:
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Puyallup School District
302 2nd St. SE Puyallup, WA 98372 | Phone: (253) 841-1301 ww.puyallup.k12.wa.us
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Puyallup School District provides equal opportunities in education and employment and does not discriminate on the basis of sex, race, creed, religion, color, national origin, age, honorably discharged veteran or military status, sexual orientation including gender expression or identity, the presence of any sensory, mental, or physical disability, or the use of a trained dog guide or service animal by a person with a disability in its programs and activities and provides equal access to the Boy Scouts and other designated youth groups.
Questions or complaints of alleged discrimination may be directed to:
Puyallup School District
302 2nd Street SE
Puyallup, WA 98372
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