CHIMACUM — As the newly hired superintendent of the Chimacum School District, Rick Thompson faces a universal educational concern: how to allocate available funds in a way that provides the biggest bang for each educational buck.
“Teacher training, leadership and programs are all important things to have in place,” Thompson said.
“But in our district, all you need to do is drive past our buildings to see that we need new facilities.”
Thompson, 52, was hired to replace two-year Acting Superintendent Rich Stuart in April and began the job in July.
Thirteen people applied for the position, narrowed down to five semifinalists and three finalists.
Since joining the district, Thompson has been getting acquainted with his new colleagues with the idea of funding a facilities upgrade always in the background.
In February, district voters rejected a $34.8 million bond proposal that included rehabilitating several facilities and building a stadium, which sponsors said would raise the district’s athletic visibility.
The measure drew 50.88 percent support from voters but required a 60 percent supermajority for approval.
If approved, the measure would have imposed a new tax on property owners by $1.50 per $1,000 of assessed valuation, or $375 for a $250,000 home.
The 1,000-student Chimacum School system includes a high school, middle school, elementary school and alternative school on a single campus, as well as a primary school in another location.
One of the district’s priorities is to determine if and when the measure should be resubmitted to voters and how the original measure needs modification.
“We don’t know how much of this expense should be assumed by the taxpayer, although it’s clear that the state needs to assume a larger portion of K-12 education rather than local taxpayers and local levy money,” Thompson said.
The state Legislature approved its budget July 31, and the district approved its own $13 million budget last Wednesday.
Since that time, the state Supreme Court has imposed fines of $100,000 per day on the Legislature for failing to meet the requirements of its 2012 McCleary decision on funding basic education.
That lawsuit’s namesake, Stephanie McCleary, works at the Chimacum district as its human resource director.
“I’ve been following the funding issue for 20 years in other districts,” Thompson said.
“It’s been really important for us to have dialogue about how more money is going to lead to a better education outcome. To work with Stephanie and other people who have been involved since the beginning has been really dynamic.”
Aside from funding and curriculum, news of an alleged child rape on a school bus emerged during Thompson’s first week on the job.
A 13-year-old boy was charged with three counts of first-degree child rape after deputies said he attacked a 7-year-old girl on a Chimacum school bus this spring.
He entered a not-guilty plea in July and is scheduled for a pretrial hearing at 9 a.m. Sept. 2.
The hearing will take place in Jefferson County Superior Court, 1820 Jefferson St., Port Townsend.
In reaction to the juvenile’s case, the district is now involved in what Thompson calls “an internal dialogue” to develop specific plans to increase bus safety and install new cameras that have a better line of sight in the buses.
He does not know whether the accused student will be attending school in the fall.
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Jefferson County Editor Charlie Bermant can be reached at 360-385-2335 or cbermant@peninsuladailynews.com.
