Asotin School District sets meeting on school plans

ASOTIN - Building a new elementary school on the south side of town and remodeling Asotin High School are two of the topics that will be discussed next week at a public meeting here.

A facilities committee chaired by Dave Bonfield and Paul Duffau is close to making a recommendation on how to address facility needs in the Asotin School District, Superintendent Greg Godwin said. The committee will present information on the situation at 6 p.m. Wednesday in the high school commons.

"The elementary school has really outgrown the site where they're at, and parents have to pick up and drop off their kids on the busiest street in Asotin," Bonfield said. "Basically, we're trying to come up with solutions for those two problems. Parts of the school are pretty outdated. "

One of the options under consideration is building a new prekindergarten through sixth-grade school in a subdivision. The Asotin-Anatone School District owns 10 acres in the Riverpointe Addition, west of Appleford Drive, which was purchased in the 1990s with the intent of building a school sometime in the future, Godwin said.

The committee determined there is an immediate need of two additional classrooms at Asotin Elementary School, according to information provided by the district. The group also conducted a feasibility study of building a new school and has attempted to address concerns from residents of the subdivision.

Possible financing options are being examined, along with the amount of matching funds available from the state of Washington.

The facilities committee, which is made up of 43 patrons, students and parents, has been studying possible upgrades, safety issues and what's needed for a year, Godwin said. Remodeling current buildings, a projected increase in enrollment numbers and cost comparisons have been part of the process.

After a recommendation is made, the school board will do another study on the cost and feasibility of the proposal, and public hearings will be conducted, Godwin said.

"Facility improvement takes time and planning, so a final decision is not imminent," he said.

More information on the committee and the work that has been done is available on the school's Web site at www.aasd.wednet.edu.

---

Sandaine may be contacted at kerris@lmtribune.com or (208) 848-2264.