The FUTURE IS NOW AT MERIDIAN!!

This from the Superintendent of Meridian School District Tom Churchill:

“The new campus on Laurel Rd. will house the Meridian Parent Partnership Program (MP3).  MP3 will vacate their current location at the Ten Mile Creek Elementary (TMCE) on Hemmi Rd.  This will free up 12 classrooms at the TMCE building to be used to house a growing population at Irene Reither Elementary (IRE)…” See below to see how this program helps Home Schoolers.

“I am pleased to announce that the new MP3 campus is being created without asking our community for any additional financial support. The District is self-funding this project to create 10 additional classrooms. Our voters are not being asked to approve a bond and they will not see any property tax increase as a result of this project.”

Superintendent Tom Churchill Meridian School District 

 

The (click here to see)Meridian School Board began “visioning” a facility solution for the 11 year old Meridian Parent Partnership Program just over two years ago.

From Board ideas; Conditional Use Permits were obtained over a six month period and awarded in December 2016.

At that time the district put out bids and took the lowest bid in April 2017.

Then the Construction Company prepared the site for the 10 additional classrooms.

Finally on June 7th 2017 yours truly was there, taking pictures, as it took about 3.5 minutes for the crew to place 1/2 a classroom.

NOTE: IF YOU ARE A GEEK LIKE I AM CLICK HERE TO SEE THE U-TUBE 3.5 MINUTE MOVIE AND WATCH THE CRANE PLACE ONE OF THE BUILDINGS.

 

When local and state funding for schools comes from property taxes A small School District (Meridian) in Rural Whatcom County shows the promise and problems with supporting “Basic” Education in a State that Down-zones several thousand Rural Properties by judicial fiat and continues to use local rules to down-zone even more properties in rural areas.

(full disclosure I was on this School Board for 12 years and my wife is retiring this year from the school board after 8 years)

For Meridian over the years it has been very important for the Citizens and parents that we keep our local Rural Character and raise our children in this rural environment.

Local Levy collections vary from $1876.00 to $3123.00 per student in all of Whatcom County’s 7 school districts based on levies passed by the local voters and the school district’s valuation.

Since valuations in many rural districts are being reduced by the Supreme Court of Washington and the County Council’s policies concerning jobs at Cherry Point;  Local Rural Education systems are being threatened by the Growth Management Act.

You decide a decision on whether we MUST have just new Environmental Polices that continue to threaten the education of our children or some kind of balance that takes both constituents into consideration or…

Do you think  this is just another ploy of the left to force the state to pass an income tax?

 

So What is this Parent Partnership Program?:

The parent partnership program provides support for parents choosing to homeschool their child.  The support comes from certified teachers in the program who provide guidance, curriculum materials, assessments, and instruction for the students.   The students come to campus two days a week for instruction from the teacher.  The rest of the week the parent provides the instruction under the guidance of the teacher.

Check it out here:Meridian Parent Partnership Program

Another way Meridian School District responds to student needs: The Construction Careers Academy

The Construction Careers Academy at Meridian High School is a branch campus program in partnership with the Northwest Career and Technical Academy (NCTA) in Mt. Vernon.  The Construction Careers Academy program provides students from all over Whatcom County with a hands-on learning experience that will help to ready them for working in the construction trades.  This program provides students with knowledge and skills that will help them to become employable after high school. Here is a link to the NCTA web site. http://www.nwtech.k12.wa.us/