Teachers endorse moving New Horizons onto CBC campus

It appears the future of New Horizons High School and Columbia Basin College will be tied together — that’s what teachers and students say they want.

The Pasco School Board discussed plans for the alternative high school during a Tuesday study session where district administrators presented information about possible options to move the school.

The board made no decision, but one isn’t needed. A previous school board directed the district in 2010 to pursue moving New Horizons to a leased building on CBC’s main campus from its buildings at the isolated west end of the campus.

Current cost estimates call for an annual lease of $350,000 to move into the W Building, as well as $4 million in renovations. New Horizons could open at the new location in fall 2017.

“Some of the discontent, I think, could have been alleviated if we let people know there was a plan,” said board President Scott Lehrman.

The board will hold community forums about New Horizons in February.

A few parents criticized the board at its last regular meeting for the plan, saying it gave New Horizons short shrift, especially in light of the district planning to spend capital funds to build a pre-kindergarten center. School districts are not required to provide education for students too young for kindergarten.

But New Horizons’ principal and one of its lead teachers endorsed the relocation plan and feedback from other staff and students also gave support. The ability to further collaborate with the college and steer students toward a post-secondary education bolstered that enthusiasm.

“They have enough realistic barriers ... that perceived barriers, we can remove them,” said Principal Seth Johnson.

The district began looking at moving New Horizons, which enrolls 271 students, as early as 2005. The lease with CBC called for the school to move out by 2012, but that was pushed back amid difficulties of finding a new space.

The future of the school became a talking point in the wake of the Pasco teachers strike this fall. One teacher from the school brought enlarged photos of what looked like crumbling infrastructure at the school, including signs of mice infestation, to a board meeting. He also called for an accounting of the bond passed by voters in 2013, which the district had said a portion could be used to move New Horizons.

Administrators considered building a new facility for the school at district-owned property in west Pasco in a 2010 report. But the board at the time directed staff to look at leasing CBC’s W Building, also called the CH2M Hill Education Technology Center, in the northeast corner of the college campus instead.

The project offers several advantages, including millions of dollars in savings in up-front costs, but it was the educational potential of the arrangement that drove that decision, said Assistant Superintendent Sarah Thornton.

It’s a missed opportunity that New Horizons students haven’t been as connected to the main campus, said CBC President Rich Cummins. He said he’s not concerned about having high school students at the college, as hundreds are already there as part of the Running Start program, adding he would also drive money from the lease payments into creating programs directed at New Horizons students.

Ideally, the relocation will help familiarize New Horizons students with the college experience, helping them see it as obtainable after graduation.

“The vision is let’s find a way to keep students engaged in education,” Cummins said.

Teacher Michelle Smith said she and other teachers at the school are already working with CBC on possible programs, including a career and technical education version of Running Start. An informal survey of most teachers found the majority in favor of the relocation. Students have told staff that they would be more comfortable attending CBC if they spent time there during high school.

“We have an opportunity to create a new concept here in Eastern Washington for alternative education,” one teacher commented in the survey.

Board member Steve Christensen questioned what New Horizons would do for a gym or school meals, as the W Building doesn’t have those facilities. There was also concern about the stability of a lease, especially given CBC’s growth.

“What if you decide you need that building again?” asked board member Amy Phillips.

Cummins said the college planned for the loss of classrooms in its design of the new Social Sciences building currently under construction not far from the W Building. The W Building would also be taken off the college’s facility inventory.

“I’m not really concerned about needing that building back,” Cummins said.

The lease still isn’t worked out and Thornton said the total cost of relocation hasn’t been fully determined. There are issues to work out, such as the lack of gym and cafeteria, and the need for more space for the school’s associated daycare. New Horizons staff also want to be consulted about how the W Building is modified and collaboration efforts with the college.

But board members said they were supportive of continuing to work with CBC and deepening its relationship with the district.

“I think this is an underutilized resource,” said board member Aaron Richardson.

This story was originally published January 26, 2016 at 9:29 PM with the headline "Teachers endorse moving New Horizons onto CBC campus."