City Council and School Board members met at a joint work session Monday to discuss issues including managing future growth and expected budget shortfalls.
School Superintendent Bill Lahmann said that district voters should expect to see a construction bond measure by February 2012 that addresses growth in the district for the next eight to 10 years.
Lahmann noted that districts get state funding to build new schools only when existing schools exceed capacity, which is imminent for some of the district’s east side schools.
But sometimes growth patterns are hard to predict, Lahmann said, as was the case for the Grass Lake Village development, which – despite projections of hundreds of new households – resulted in just three students attending Olympia schools.
“If we were to build capacity based on projections, we would have empty classrooms,” Lahmann said.
Councilwoman Rhenda Strub said the concern about school overcrowding influenced her vote against Bentridge Village, a subdivision on the east side of the city that would include about 500 new households. The master plan, which was approved in November, does not include a space for a new school within walking distance.
City officials told the council members when they voted in November that there is enough capacity within the school system to accommodate those students.
Strub said the ability to walk to neighborhood amenities is important for maintaining Olympia’s quality of life.
“Good neighborhood schools are an essential part to that,” she said.
Strub said she hoped there was a way that the city could compel residential developers that expect to add plenty of families to include nearby schools.
“I mean, we tell them what kind of light fixtures they can use,” she said.
Venice Buhain: 360-754-5445
vbuhain@theolympian.com
www.theolympian.com/edblog
