High Quality Instruction and Learning for Every Child, Every Day in Every Classroom March 2016

Voters continue to support local schools; both February ballot measures pass with overwhelming support for Renton Schools

Voters in the February election for Renton Schools continued to show their support for local education by passing both measures on the ballot with overwhelming support.

Proposition 1, the Replacement Educational Programs, Maintenance and Operations Levy, passed with nearly 65 percent yes votes; Proposition 2: Building for a Lifetime of Learning Capital Levy to Construct and Renovate School Facilities passed with over 63 percent of the yes vote.

Proposition 1 will replace a current levy that expires in 2016. It is not a new tax, and provides more than 26 cents of every dollar spent in classrooms and for school building upkeep and maintenance. Proposition 2, a Capital Facilities Levy, will support the district’s long-range plans to provide adequate learning space for all students by building a new, additional elementary school, and upgrading and renovating other school facilities. The levy also included funding for the district’s long-range technology plan.

Thanks to overwhelming voter support, district to move quickly to build additional elementary school

Thanks to overwhelming support for local education and voter approval of two levies on the February 9 election ballot, Renton School District will move quickly to begin the process to build the much-needed additional elementary school in north Renton, at the current Sartori School site at 315 Garden Ave N, Renton. The new school will be the district’s fourteenth elementary school.

Renton Superintendent Dr. Art Jarvis is leading a team of district planners and other staff to move quickly to place bids for an architectural firm to plan the building and begin the process of securing permits and other documents to completely raze the old building to make way for the new school. It is anticipated that the new elementary school will be ready to open in the fall of 2018, at the start of the 2018-2019 school year.

Using funds from past voter-approved bond measures, the district recently purchased the houses that sit on the block where the school will be built, along with a small grocery store and restaurant. Those buildings will be soon removed to provide space for the new elementary school, a playground, school bus pick-up/drop-off area, and parking for teachers, staff, parents and visitors.

Student-athletes recognized for work in classroomRenton High School’s boys varsity swim team has been named State Academic Champions at the 2A level. The boys on the swim team, led by Coach Diane Pavelin, maintained a combined, near-perfect 3.8 GPA through the fall sports season. Renton High Boys Varsity Swim Team and State Academic Champions are (l-r in photo): Eli Ballesteros, Tai-Anthony McMillan, Richard Tran, and Mariano Tolentino.

Many other high school student-athletes were recently recognized for hard work in the classroom and in sports and activities. Twenty-

seven district teams/groups won the Dairy Farmers of Washington/Les Schwab Tires Scholastic Award presented in association with the Washington Interscholastic Athletics Association, as top teams in the state to excel in sports and activities while also maintaining high combined team grade point averages (GPA) through the winter sports season. Five district high school teams received “Outstanding” honors for maintaining a near-perfect 3.5-4.0 GPA; 22 additional teams also won "Distinguished" awards with team GPAs above 3.0.

Twenty-five students recently graduated from the Secondary Learning Center (SLC), the district's high school that provides students with traditional and non-traditional programs in innovative classes and through web-based courses. Twenty-one of the graduating seniors reported that they will immediately enter college.

The SLC hosts two graduations each school year for students who complete state and district high school graduation requirements. SLC graduates have overcome impediments to getting a high school education. Some spoke of self-made obstacles like losing interest in school and then dropping out because of fear about falling behind. But, the graduates say, having the SLC program to help them reenter and stay connected to school, and having a group of dedicated caring teachers to guide and encourage them to stay focused, were reasons they were at the graduation ceremony, enjoying the same rite of passage afforded their counterparts in other high schools. Even though they praise teachers and families

for helping them achieve their goal, these graduates understand that their success comes mostly due to their own commitment to learning, and wanting better for themselves.

25 students graduate from Secondary Learning Center

Hazen High School senior Malcom Scarry and Lindbergh High senior Lidiya Gebre have been recognized as gifted young leaders and awarded a 2016 Act Six Leadership Scholarship by the Northwest Leadership Foundation in Tacoma. Both Malcom and Lidiya will use the full-ride scholarship to attend Northwest University in Kirkland. Act Six is a full-tuition urban leadership

scholarship initiative that works to find young leaders with a heart for their community, develop their leadership skills, and help them work to initiate constructive change in their community. Nearly 400 applicants were considered through a rigorous screening process; 22 scholars were selected as inspirational young leaders.

High school students win full-ride scholarships for their academics and leadership

Taxpayers will pay less in property taxes thanks to action by Renton School Board

Renton School District taxpayers could save between $8-10 million in property taxes thanks to recent action by the Renton School Board to refinance school construction bonds. Refinancing the old debt is similar to refinancing a home mortgage to reduce the amount of interest paid over the course of a loan by taking advantage of historically low interest rates.

Voter-approved school construction bond measures allow the district to raise funds through bond sales to rebuild, remodel and repair neighborhood school buildings. The district could cut interest rates in half, dropping the new rate to as low as 2.6 percent. The bond measure being refinanced, which was

approved by voters in 2012, provided funding to build a new middle school in the north end of the district in Newcastle, which will open in the fall of 2017; rebuild Lindbergh High

School pool; and complete many construction projects, safety improvements, plumbing and mechanical upgrades at other schools across the district.

The district took similar steps to refinance old debt in 1998, 2003, and 2014, again saving taxpayers millions of dollars in property taxes.

1,200 students learn first-hand about hands-on careers

Renton School District recently held its annual Trades Fair at Lindbergh High School were 47 local and international vendors presented 1,200 middle and high school students with information about options for their future careers in hands-on trades. Also present were two- and four-year colleges and universities, technical colleges, apprenticeships and businesses looking for skilled and trained workers.

Industries represented at the Trades Fair included aerospace, masonry, military, medical and dental, nautical, machine operation, culinary, cosmetology, energy and transportation. All of the pathways represented provided living wage jobs for our future graduates.

Renton School District | 300 SW 7th Street, Renton WA 98057 | 425.204.2345 | www.rentonschools.us www.facebook.com/renton.schools | twitter.com/Renton_Schools | www.youtube.com/user/RentonSchoolDistrict

Looking for a great job?Renton School District is hiring: Apply online now at

https://jobs.rentonschools.us

Teaching and non-teaching, full-time positions or part-time substitute positions, with hours that are set or flexible and

many do not require a teaching degree.Pay can range up to $17.36 per/hour with great benefits.

Current openings include: Bus Driver, Custodian,Food Service/Substitute Cook, Office Assistant, and more.

Friends of Renton Schools foundation works to keep music in schools

Music is an important element in the education and development of students. The Friends of Renton Schools foundation has designated March as Music Month and are working throughout March to raise funds to continue to provide quality music programs for every student in the district. Donations made on their secure website will provide students with musical instruments, instrument repair, sheet music and more at schools across the district. Donate what you can; every donation will go directly to music-related items at all grade levels. Donate at their website: www.friendsofrentonschools.org.

School bus drivers use technology to be better prepared on the road

Renton School District bus drivers are training using a virtual simulator to sharpen their driving skills to keep students safe while on the bus and to be better prepared for driving in normal and hazardous conditions. School bus drivers recently went through training using the

Driver Training Simulator system—the same training system used by ambulance drivers, fire, police and SWAT units, and other emergency response vehicles—to practice operating large school buses to practice collision avoidance and in hectic and adverse weather and traffic.