Three out of four surveyed recommend Outdoor Athletic and Activity facility upgrades

Three out of four surveyed recommend Outdoor Athletic and Activity facility upgrades

Tuesday night Superintendent Dr. Wade Smith provided an update to school board members on survey results and outreach efforts regarding the proposed Outdoor Athletic & Activity Facilities recommendations. This summer representatives from the 20-member independent Outdoor Athletic and Activity Facilities Committee wrapped up months of research and planning by recommending to the school board two options for addressing the district’s outdoor athletic and activity facility needs.

Recommended by the committee, over the past three months, the district conducted significant stakeholder outreach and engagement. This included presentations at multiple service groups, businesses, the Walla Walla Valley Chamber of Commerce and Walla Walla Association of Realtors, and meetings with various key communicators. A community-wide survey was administered that netted nearly 300 responses to help determine which recommendation, the Comparable Plan or Comprehensive Plan, best meets the community’s priorities for improvements. Of those who responded to the survey, 76 percent said they would support either option with only 24 percent not in favor of the identified upgrades.

As recommended by the committee, the “Comparable Option” would address the outdoor sites and amenities identified most in need of upgrades, relying on a one-time, 38-cent shorter-term capital levy (six-year). The “Comprehensive Plan” included additional enhancements and would require a 49-cent, six-year capital levy.

The Comprehensive option garnered the most support from survey-takers at 56 percent, while the Comparable approach revealed 20 percent support. Sensitive to taxpayers and current economic conditions, School Board members favored the lower-cost approach, which would cost about $3 per month for every $100,000 of assessed value. During the discussion, the Board requested Superintendent Smith investigate the possibility of including lights on the Hayner Park Field, the location where the current soccer field is, which are not currently included in the Comparable Plan.

“We have heard time and time again how much class time our students miss from school because we don’t have lighted fields like every other school in our league,” noted Board President Derek Sarley. “In all of our outreach, those lights seem to be the most talked about from the list of improvements identified in the Comprehensive Plan.”

The school board will finalize the Capital Levy resolution in the coming months, which will pave the way to put the measure on the ballot February 13, 2024. The proposal requires a simple majority to pass, 50% plus one vote.

THE PROPOSED 38 CENT SHORT-TERM CAPITAL LEVY WILL:
• Replace the 60-year-old original tennis courts at Wa-Hi
• Install an all-weather track at Pioneer MS for athlete, school and community use
• Repair the 43-year-old Garrison tennis courts (Chubb Courts) and resurface the 20-year-old track
• Consistent with all league schools, install high-quality artificial turf playing surfaces and field lighting(low spill/low glare) in order to maximize utilization, participation and post-season play at both the Klicker and Hayner Park fields at Wa-Hi
• Install outdoor lighting (low spill/low glare) in order to minimize instructional loss and maximize family participation for baseball and softball players
• Install elevated bleachers with ADA access at the Klicker Track and Field site for soccer, football and track and field spectators
• Provide adequate access to restrooms and changing rooms for high school athletes
• Construct a JROTC "Raider Obstacle Course" for student, first responder and community use