News - Local News

POSTED: Thursday, Oct. 30, 2008

Ferndale board weighs plans for shuttered school

FERNDALE - Ferndale School District officials have unveiled new options for the North Bellingham Elementary School site - using it for two high schools, an elementary school or an early childhood center.

Or all of the above.

The school board was shown the options and cost comparisons from Rolluda Architects at a board meeting Thursday night, Oct. 30.

All the options call for the demolition of the condemned 1938-era building, except for the boiler room and a bathroom, and putting Clearview High School, one of Ferndale's alternative high schools, in the building connected to the condemned building.

"I think having an early childhood center on site with two high schools and potential for an elementary school - I think it's just amazing," said board member Lee Anne Riddle. "My concern is size and making sure everyone has the space they need."

The 70-student high school moved into portable buildings on the site in mid-September, allowing students to get out of the dilapidated portables at Vista Middle School and move into their own space, complete with gym, theater stage and kitchen access.

"It does reduce criticism we very frequently receive that we have two small schools that are high cost schools," Lehnert said.

Most of North Bellingham Elementary has been empty since the summer, when staff and students temporarily transferred to Cascadia Elementary School, Ferndale's newest elementary school on Church Road. The school was vacated because the main building, built in 1938, was condemned for structural issues right before the 2007-08 school year.

The base option - removing four portable buildings, demolishing the condemned building and replacing it with a plaza - would cost the district about $860,000, according to data from Rolluda Architects.

The other options are listed, with estimated costs, as provided by Rolluda Architects.

Option A: Same as the base option, plus turning one of the buildings into administration offices, which are currently located in a portable building. Cost: $1.4 million.

Option B: Same as the base option, plus turning one of the buildings, the former kindergarten building, into an early childhood center. The administration offices would remain in the current portable building. Cost: $900,000.

Option C: Same as Option B, plus turning the two buildings on the south side of campus into Windward High School, Ferndale's other alternative high school. The school is currently located in a leased building on LaBounty Drive. Cost: $1.25 million.

Option D: Same as Option C, plus creating a walled-in common area that ties the two high schools together and building new administration offices and teachers' lounge. All the buildings, except the early childhood center, would be connected. Cost: $3.6 million, which potentially includes more than $1 million in state support.

Option E: Same as Option D, plus building a new North Bellingham Elementary on the south end of the almost 20-acre site. Cost: $19 million.

Now that the board members have seen what kinds of cost is involved, they want to make sure the individual school programs can work in the facilities.

"It's very important to me we ask the important questions: programmatically, does this fit?" said board member John Hruby. "If it doesn't fit, then we don't want to do this."