News

Many Albany schools are full, and projections show enrollment growth in the coming years.

West Albany High School has less square footage per student at 100 square feet per student compared to the recommended high school size of 150 square feet per student. This makes a crowded school in general and many overcrowded classrooms.

Addressing crowding is a priority for a possible bond measure in May 2017. Solutions for overcrowding can include adding modular classrooms, but that won’t work at WAHS because the common space in the school, such as the cafeteria and gyms, cannot be expanded for more students. And the building is aging and has many other deficiencies.

The School Board is currently reviewing facility needs and is expected to make a decision for a bond proposal early in 2017.

WAHS student Jakob Jones supports facility improvements at his school. He is promoting a rebuild of West Albany High School to address the numerous facility issues at his school.

West Albany High School is one of the District’s oldest schools. It was built in 1953 and is showing its age. Architects and the community-based District Facility Advisory Committee identified critical facility upgrades, current classroom overcrowding and lack of room for growth, and a facility that does not meet modern educational learning standards.

In addition, the building has had nine major renovations and additions since it was built, resulting in a disjointed school design.

Architects have determined that a multi-phased reconstruction of the school would be more cost effective than additional renovations.

Jakob’s posters show that many classrooms are currently overcrowded.

The School Board is reviewing options for a possible May 2017 bond proposal that could also include new elementary classrooms for current crowding and projected growth, new classrooms for career technical education and improvements to address educational deficiencies and critical facility needs around the District.

Read more information:

• Possible finance options
• School age timeline
• October community forums
• District Facility Advisory Committee

Photo by KMTR TV.

West Albany High School student Taylor Pokorney is honoring her father by organizing a 5K run/walk to support the Intrepid Fallen Heroes fund. She organized the fundraiser in memory of her father and in support of the nonprofit, which helped her and her mother after her father was killed in action in Iraq when she was two.

“These intrepid centers help military members that come back with PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) and TBI (traumatic brain injury) and other conditions,” Taylor says. “They sacrifice everything every day for us. So why not give back?”

Read more and see a video interview of Taylor. 

The 5K run is open to all. It is scheduled for Nov. 12 at 9 a.m. There is also a 5K walk, which will begin at 9:15. The course starts at West Albany High School. See more information and register online.

There is still time to register. Sign up today to support Taylor’s work on behalf of injured service members and their families.

Read this post from Clover Ridge Elementary School’s website about their new strategies for helping students build self-management skills:

At Clover Ridge, we teach our students that they can solve small problems on their own, using Kelso’s Wheel.  Interim Principal Kilee Sowa helped create a great visual for our kids that reminds them of the many options they have to deal with small issues as they arise, such as:

• Wait and cool off
• Tell others to stop
• Go to another game
• Talk it out
• Walk away
• Apologize
• Share and take turns
• Ignore it
• Make a deal

If you are interested in implementing/reinforcing Kelso’s Wheel at home,we have flyers in the office that you can stop in and pick up anytime.

If your neighborhood needs a local library, you can purchase one from West Albany High School students later this month. The “little libraries” are constructed by students in Jeff Hawkins’ trades class and decorated by art students in Babette Grunwald’s art class.

Mr. Hawkins expects to charge $300 for a new, decorated library structure. If you are interested, email him at jeff.hawkins@albany.k12.or.us.

Read more about the project in the Democrat-Herald.