'Facility planning meeting' scheduled in Othello

By CHERYL SCHWEIZER

Staff Writer

OTHELLO — Othello School District patrons are being invited to a community meeting to talk about the future of school facilities, what district patrons think is needed and what, if anything, should be built. The “facility planning meeting” is scheduled for 6 to 8 p.m. Jan. 17 at the McFarland Middle School gym, 790 S. 10th Ave.

Othello superintendent Chris Hurst said the meeting will begin with a review of the district’s current facilities, and a discussion about where district patrons want to go from here.

The existing Othello High School is big enough for the existing student body, Hurst said, but it might not be big enough for the classes currently at the middle school. In addition, school population projections show the district will continue to grow, he said.

Othello School Board members and district officials have had preliminary discussions about a construction bond for a new high school, Hurst said. He took over the superintendent’s job in July, and since then has identified other possible needs, he said, which may impact the community’s decision about a new high school.

“We’re trying to invite the entire community,” Hurst said.

Participants will also be asked what they want for the district’s future, a process Hurst is calling “Imagine If.” There are programs district patrons need to think about, Hurst said, including a focus on science, technology, math and the arts, and how to educate Othello kids in those areas.

Hurst said he’s also emphasizing “global pathways,” learning languages and cultures from around the world – and how Othello students will fit into that global economy. The district also faces the challenge of preparing preschool children for school, he said.

In light of the challenges, Hurst said he wants district patrons to discuss the programs they want district officials to emphasize, and figure out how to get there. Part of that decision will be the need for a new high school, and if the decision is to build a new high school, how to proceed from there.

The meeting will include breakout sessions, along with a discussion about ways to implement any decisions that are made. If the decision is to pursue more facilities, whatever they are, additional meetings will be scheduled.