Big turnout for school district facilities committee

By Oliver Lazenby

At its October 23 board meeting, the Blaine school board appointed 12 people to a “facility needs review committee,” which will study the district’s short-term construction, maintenance and infrastructure needs.

District superintendent Ron Spanjer had expected the committee to only have 8-10 members.

Over the next two months, the group will analyze and research, but it won’t necessarily make a recommendation to the school board, Spanjer said.

The group will look at options for the high school grandstand project, as well as projects that were not included in the 2015 capital bond that would cost less than $1 million and could be completed in the next five years.

Such projects might include painting and re-roofing school gyms, paving and re-striping parking lots or acquiring property in Birch Bay for future school buildings, Spanjer said in September.

Depending on the committee’s progress, the school board will hold a work session in December or early January to prioritize projects.

In addition to Spanjer, the committee’s members are: John Freal, school board member; Amber Porter, district finance director; Alan Pomeroy, district facilities supervisor; Jay Dodd, district teacher and coach; Rachel Hrutfiord, district staff member and parent; Kristin Clausen, Blaine resident; Pat Kramme, Blaine resident; Tim Thiessen, parent and Birch Bay resident; Doralee Booth, Birch Bay resident; Laura McKinney, parent and Semiahmoo resident, and Tammy Westfall, parent and

rural resident.

“We feel like the committee represents a strong balance of program interests, staff, community, geographic and gender balance,” Spanjer said.

The committee may add a Point Roberts representative, according to meeting documents. The group plans to meet from 5:30-7 p.m. in the district office on October 30, November 9 and November 30.