SBLSD News
Oct. 3, 2024
The highlight of Izumi’s day is to get up in the morning and participate in drill practice with her fellow classmates in Bonney Lake High School’s JROTC Air Force.
“I wish it was two periods long,” admitted the Bonney Lake High School sophomore.
Both the Bonney Lake High School JROTC Air Force and Sumner High School JROTC Army programs were launched last school year as Career & Technical Education (CTE) classes in the Sumner-Bonney Lake School District (SBLSD). The enthusiasm for the program is growing.
Taught by skilled staff, the JROTC program prepares students who are interested in careers from a variety of fields, including public service, government, military, engineering and technology, health and emergency services, and other leadership roles with opportunities for college scholarships.
JROTC is just one of the many Sumner-Bonney Lake CTE programs that bridge the gap between academics and careers. CTE prepares students to excel in the demands of modern careers by offering hands-on experience in a variety of fields, ensuring they graduate high school not only with a diploma but with valuable industry experience.
Watch the below video about JROTC or learn more here.
With a growing student enrollment comes the need to expand CTE spaces. Currently, 9 of 14 schools in the Sumner-Bonney Lake School District are over 100% capacity. Additional CTE opportunities at all middle and high schools are one project among many on SBLSD’s Proposition 1 on the Nov. 5 ballot: Expanded Student Capacity, School Improvements and Safety Upgrades. Learn more at sumnersd.org/vote.
Why does the district need to run a bond?
The District needs to add classrooms by expanding facilities, and replace aging and outdated school facilities to improve and increase educational opportunities, programs and spaces, and enhance safety and security.
Sumner-Bonney Lake is one of the fastest growing school districts in Pierce County, with more families moving here to join our community and our schools. We are currently overcrowded and need more classrooms. Nine out of 14 schools are currently over 100% capacity. Projected enrollment is expected to increase by 16% in the next decade, 2024-2033.
A delay in running a bond would further add to the costs in the long run. If we were to run the 2020 bond (that didn’t pass) today, there would be a 147% cost increase due to inflation and rising costs:
Bond cost in 2020 = $175 million
Costs for the same bond today = $433 million
What projects are on the bond?
Every school in the district will benefit from the bond. See our projects list and map. Here are details about the eight projects receiving the bulk of expansion/upgrades/improvements:
Bonney Lake High School Expansion
Sumner High School Master Plan
Crestwood Elementary Improvements
Liberty Ridge Elementary Improvements
Donald Eismann Elementary Improvements
Tehaleh Heights Elementary Improvements
Daffodil Valley Elementary Improvements
How and who determines the order and timeline of the projects?
Project teams, led by the architect in coordination with District Capital Facilities staff, base project order and timeline on a variety of factors, such as the need for space and financing. While the planning phase for some projects might start at the same time, the actual construction and completion varies due to project scope or other unforeseen issues.
Some of our high-priority projects that include a major expansion and additional student capacity include: Bonney Lake High School, Sumner High School, new middle school in Tehaleh and Tehaleh Heights Elementary.
In general, it takes about four years to complete a project: 18 months of design, 8 months for permitting and 18 months to build. This is for more extensive projects. Specific completion timelines vary by project.
Next week, SBLSD begins its annual state-mandated vision and hearing screening for students in grades K-3, 5 and 7 – that’s about 4,500 students!
Vision and hearing screenings are important in helping identify barriers to learning in the early years. A student needing glasses may struggle with reading because they cannot see the board in their classroom or because words look blurry on a page.
Identifying these barriers can equip students with the tools they need to ensure they are receiving the best education possible.
Also – the process is faster than ever! Check out the video below or read more to see how our health staff use the latest technology and equipment for vision and hearing screenings.
READY! for Kindergarten is a free program that helps ensure success in school, offering age-appropriate targets, training and tools for parents and caregivers of children birth to age five.
Families new to READY! must attend orientation from 6-6:30 pm before your registered class session.
Fall session dates*:
Wednesday, Oct. 23 at the Sumner Early Learning Center
Thursday, Oct. 24 at Donald Eismann Elementary
Monday, Oct. 28 at Emerald Hills Elementary
Time: All sessions are held from 6:30-8 p.m.
Register: www.readyforkindergarten.org/sumner
Registration for Right At School is still open for the 2024-25 school year. Visit the Right At School SBLSD website for information on enrollment, locations, programs and pricing (including discounts and financial support).
SBLSD partners with Right At School, a nationally-recognized school enrichment provider for before- and after-school care for elementary-aged students at all of our elementary schools and the Sumner Early Learning Center.
Right At School provides families flexibility in enrollment options and a comprehensive enrichment curriculum to keep students engaged while they participate. Students will have a healthy snack, engage in dynamic fitness activities, student-driven projects, team building, leadership development, and have the opportunity to complete homework assignments.
Program highlights:
Open from 6:30 am to 6 pm
Flexible schedules and pricing options
Tuition discounts available
Childcare available during breaks and non-school days
The general election is just about a month away — Nov. 5. If you’re not yet registered to vote, we encourage those who are eligible to do so:
Online at VoteWA.gov (by Oct. 28)
By mail with a completed voter registration form (by Oct. 28)
In-person at the Pierce County Elections Office in Tacoma (by Nov. 5 at 8 pm)
The Pierce County Elections Office will mail ballots on Oct. 18. The Sumner-Bonney Lake School District has Proposition 1 on the ballot. Please be sure to turn over your ballot to see all measures.
Future voters
16- and 17-year-olds can pre-register to vote. Registrants under the age of 18 will have their registrations held until they become eligible to vote.
Washington state law requires that every student receives HIV/AIDs prevention education in grades 5 through 12. Because this unit covers sensitive topics, Washington state law and SBLSD board policy require that parents are provided the opportunity to preview these lessons.
The Sumner-Bonney Lake School District is hosting a curriculum night for families to preview the HIV/AIDS prevention curriculum for students currently enrolled in second semester 8th-grade Skills for Life or 9th-grade Health classes. Additionally, there will be another opportunity in the spring for families of 6-12 graders who will study this health-related content during second semester.
Parent Review Night
Dec. 10 | 4:30-6 pm
Sumner-Bonney Lake School District Administration Building, Board Room
1202 Wood Ave (in Sumner)
Curriculum will be available for preview. This is an opportunity for parents and guardians to understand the health content for grades 8 and 9, preview teaching materials and ask questions about the resources used in the classroom.
Parents/guardians wishing to exclude their child from the Sexual Health curriculum required by our state must preview this curriculum and sign an exclusion form.
Parents/guardians of students in other grades will have the opportunity to preview the curriculum in spring 2025.
