Facilities Advisory Committee

Facilities Advisory Committee & School Board Study Session Recap

The Facilities Advisory Committee (FAC) met with the school board for a study session to discuss their approach to facility recommendations. FAC members provided a brief recap of their process, emphasizing their reliance on district data and industry experts to guide their work. They reiterated their focus on how facilities support great learning.

The session included a productive dialogue between the board and committee, with questions and clarifications exchanged. The board confirmed the superintendent’s outlined priorities and provided guidance to help the FAC refine its recommendations. Moving forward, the committee will continue developing both short-term and long-term facility plans with input from industry experts.

Facilities Advisory Committee Meeting Recap – February 10, 2025

The Facilities Advisory Committee met at the Odin Inn at North Kitsap High School, where members toured the student Culinary Arts space, the NKSD Central Kitchen, and the community performing arts auditorium. These tours provided a firsthand look at current space constraints and the aging facilities, helping members better understand the district’s needs and compare them to modernized facilities in other districts.

Discussions focused on upcoming projects following the passage of the 2024 Capital Levy, including priority planning. The committee also identified members to attend an upcoming school board study session and outlined key questions for the board and superintendent. Additionally, members explored strategies to address declining enrollment, particularly in Kingston’s secondary schools, and brainstormed ways to strengthen programming while keeping the community together.

Meeting Minutes
Meeting Presentation Slides

The committee traveled to Central Kitsap and toured Olympic High School and CKHS/MS to view their modernized and new construction projects. This provided the committee with valuable insight into what is possible in North Kitsap.

There we no attendance taken, or presentations given.

At the January 13th meeting, the committee focused on CTE programs and how facility improvements could support career pathways. John Waller, assistant director of innovative learning, provided an overview of current offering at KHS and NKHS. He highlighted opportunities for program growth and facility limitations that impact teaching, and led a tour of the NKHS Technology Building to showcase areas in need of improvement. 

The committee also reviewed some example scenarios of the different types of funding models that could be considered. These were shared for information only and did not have any actual, vetted monetary values or projects attached to them.

Lastly, the committee began looking at some preliminary demographer enrollment data. They will use this information to shape future planning.

The Committee looked at dates for the remainder of the first quarter and will identify community meeting dates for gathering input and sharing their information.

Meeting Minutes
Meeting Presentation Slides
 

In December, the committee reconvened to reflect on the Capital Levy process. While the 52% approval was a positive step, committee members agreed that additional outreach time would be beneficial for future planning. The discussion centered on building upon the work they completed in 2024 and using the next several months to further refine capital improvement priorities.

The committee emphasized the importance of continued community engagement and agreed to first focus on identifying the types of facilities and improvements needed to support high-quality, innovative student learning. Once those needs are clearly defined, the committee will then explore the best funding mechanisms to support them.

Meeting Minutes
Presentation Slides

NKSD and the Facilities Advisory Committee provided a third opportunity to share information, gather input and discuss the future of NKSD facilities. Attendees met committee members, learned about the process that has been used for assessing district facility conditions and the need for repairs, modernizations and growth planning. The committee also shared funding strategies.

This meeting was held virtually.

View the video below:

The Facilities Advisory Committee (FAC) and NKSD recently hosted two community meetings to discuss the committee's ongoing work and gather valuable facilities feedback from community members. The meetings, held on June 17 at NKHS and June 25 at KHS, aimed to involve and inform community members about the facilities exploration process and the work of the FAC to review available information and data regarding facilities needs across the district. About a dozen community members attended each of the meetings (the whole community was invited).

NKSD has partnered with Bassetti Architects to conduct detailed site assessments, facilitate meetings, and provide expert guidance to support NKSD’s long-range planning. At each meeting, Jordan Kiel from Bassetti Architects introduced their role and shared insights into the committee's work. FAC members also shared their insights and the recommendations being developed in collaboration with the district.

Information gathered at the two meetings will be discussed by the FAC at their upcoming meetings and will help to inform the committee as they create recommendations for future funding measures and long-range facilities plans.

Community members are invited to share their thoughts on NKSD facilities priorities for consideration by the FAC here.

Community Meeting Minutes

Mike Merlino provided a financial overview, emphasizing the committee’s desire to rebuild community trust and the strategy of running fewer, but more impactful, elections. The committee discussed the potential benefits of running a capital levy in November 2024 to address immediate capital needs, as well as the timing of future elections, with a bond for 2026 to address larger-scale renovations and new construction, and an Educational Programs and Operations (EP&O) levy in 2026. This plan would give the FAC time to fully analyze long-term plans and needs for the district to recommend a comprehensive plan that includes community input.

The committee reviewed the detailed site assessments for Richard Gordon Elementary, Poulsbo Middle School, and began to review the Kingston Middle School assessment. Additionally, the Bassetti team reviewed the Lone Maple site, noting its 30-acre size with approximately 70-80 percent buildable area despite the presence of a critical fish stream and the necessity of accessing via a private lane. Key infrastructure considerations for the site included the need for a drain field, stormwater management, and possible sewer connections.

Meeting Minutes 

The Bassetti team provided an overview of cost estimate components, and presented their findings on the conditions of Pearson, Poulsbo, Suquamish, and Wolfle Elementary Schools. While Poulsbo and Wolfle had recent HVAC replacements, Pearson was identified as most in need of replacement. The committee concluded that replacing Pearson should be a priority and explored strategies to accommodate projected enrollment increases, including potentially rebuilding Pearson with a larger capacity. The committee will meet at David Wolfle Elementary for its next meeting.

The committee received a financial overview, clarifying the differences between bonds and levies, with emphasis on bonds for larger projects due to construction cost escalation. The State Construction Assistance Program (SCAP) was discussed, with more details to be provided in future meetings. Funding measures were examined, specifically a levy for the short term, with plans to place measures on the November 2024 ballot. The importance of clear communication to the community regarding implications was stressed.

Meeting Minutes

Presentation

Meeting Minutes

Presentation Slides

CFAC Update Presentation