School board considers changes to field trip policy

MOSES LAKE - Changes to school district policy under consideration may prohibit classes from leaving school grounds for end-of-year parties or related activities.

Board chair Kevin Donovan asked about off-campus activities during a discussion of field trip policy at the regular board meeting Thursday. Donovan said the field trip policy requires an educational component when kids go off campus, and he didn't see any education advantage to the end-of-school trips to the Surf 'n Slide Water Park.

The policy does include an outdoor education component, and Donovan asked if the water park trips might fit there. District superintendent Michelle Price said they've never been treated that way.

Price said in her opinion classes should stop going to the water park for parties. The trips served a purpose a decade ago, but times have changed, she said. Donovan said he thought all celebrations, year-end and otherwise, should be confined to school campuses.

Dave Balcom, the district's executive director for secondary education, said if the option of going to the pool goes away, classes probably will start asking about other destinations, Silverwood theme park being one example. Price said if the board decided to make those changes, teachers and administrators needed other options.

Board members asked for a draft policy, and also asked to look at the extracurricular policy.

In other business, Mark Johnson, executive director of business and operations, said construction bid packets for the district's new transportation center were released Friday. July 24 has been set as the tentative date for opening bids, but Johnson said that could be moved because a number of other jobs are scheduled for opening that day.

The Grant County Skills Center project probably will go out to bid in September, Johnson said, and the tentative completion date  has been moved from January to March or April 2014.

Balcom said the project architect, Brent Harding, said the existing documents needed some revisions and modifications, which should take 60 to 90 days. Harding anticipated awarding the bid in October, with construction beginning in November or December.

District officials are considering adding alternatives to the plans, including two generic classrooms, space for a career center and parking for 250 cars to accommodate use of the commons. Balcom said John Aultman, who's acting as a consultant on the project, suggested reviewing planned course offerings to see if they still filled local needs. Aultman said officials at the 10 districts involved should consider a schedule of three sessions per day, and work to connect with local businesses and higher education campuses. The center also should be open to host events for participating communities, which also could promote new connections for students.

Donovan also presented diplomas to two students who graduated through the district's online school.

Kelsi Kramer and Angelea Manderville took classes through the American Academy, based in Utah, which has a partnership with the district.