We sometimes abbreviate Facility Fridays as “FF.” Today’s installment is an “FFFF”: Facility Friday and Future Fixes as it highlights a recent repair HHES and elaborates on other elementary school fixes included in Feb. 11 HSD Bond.
Before we talk about faucets, we are going to talk about elementary students. They like to move, which includes getting up to get a drink of water. This can also lead to requests to use the restroom, but that’s for a future Facility Friday. In a number of our classrooms, student thirst was leading to a messy counter and wasted water. Why? The levered faucets, which were 40 years old, were leaking at their bases, sticking in the “open” position, or both.
The worn-out hardware left HSD Operations Supervisor, Dave Wilson, with two choices: 1. Turn off the faucets or 2. Replace them. Because these faucets were located in “outbuildings” (200 and 300 Buildings) turning off the faucets would mean students would have to walk outside to and from the cafeteria to get a drink. The thought of using 5 minutes of instructional time for every request for a drink of water led Wilson to Option 2.
However, replacement water faucets weren’t cheap. Why? Wilson learned that there were two main reasons: Recent inflation has driven up the prices of maintenance supplies and equipment and suppliers don’t sell faucets anymore, they sell “water bubblers” that are certified lead-free. This meant the total cost of replacing six faucets totaled nearly $1,300! Yes. $1,200 plus tax. Unfortunately that is the cost of doing business - and school maintenance - in the 21st Century.
These faucets were on the newer Yellow side of the HHS campus that was constructed in the 1980s. On a weekly basis, Wilson faces expensive repairs on the older Blue side of campus as well - which leads us to the Feb. 11 Bond. The proposed Hockinson School District bond would fund the construction of a second elementary school to address overcrowding and remodel HHES so its classrooms have modern safety (and plumbing) equipment.
More on the Bond:
The cost of removing most of the portable classrooms at HHES and remodeling its buildings, constructing a new elementary school, and completing safety and facility improvements at all HSD schools will cost the owner of a $750,000 home an additional $43 a month. Learn more about the bond proposal at hocksd.org/bond or view the community presentation slides here.
At 925 students, HHES is the largest elementary school not only in the county, but in the state! If the bond is approved, the second elementary school would be built adjacent to Hockinson Meadows Park. About half of our district’s elementary students would attend the second elementary school, and the staff team would be split between the two elementary schools. This would maintain about the same staff-to-student ratio and class sizes as we have now, and it would not have a significant impact on school staffing costs.
Thank you to community members who have volunteered to participate in the Bond Oversight Committee. If voters pass the bond, the Bond Oversight Committee will be tasked with monitoring all aspects of bond-related projects to ensure that bond funds are used efficiently, transparently, and as intended. The committee will also help to ensure that, if projects come out below budget and there are extra funds, any surplus would be refunded to Hockinson taxpayers.
If you are planning to use a drop box, ballots must be turned in by 8 pm on Election Day, Feb 11. If voting by mail, ballots must be postmarked no later than February 11. If returned in person to the Elections Office, ballots must be received by 8 pm on Election Day.
Before (l) and After (r)