Idea of closing Russell worries some

Several parents and staff members from the Moscow School District told the superintendent Monday they are concerned his plan to close Russell Elementary next year could cause harmful stress and anxiety in the young students.

Superintendent Shawn Tiegs and the Moscow School Board hosted a public hearing regarding Tiegs’ plan to address facility and financial issues within the district. Roughly 50 people attended the hearing.

Tiegs announced this plan March 5 in a letter to the community. His proposal, which first needs to be approved by the school board, would close the nearly century-old Russell Elementary and cut four elementary positions across the district. This change would shift Russell Elementary students and teachers to new buildings, with the majority of Russell students transferring to West Park Elementary.

This would make West Park a K-4 building, and the fifth grade students would be placed at Lena Whitmore or McDonald Elementary. West Park is a K-2 school and Tiegs said the long term goal is to make it K-5.

This shift from one building to another worried several people in attendance. The students would have to transfer to a new elementary building, and then move again once it’s time for them to attend Moscow Middle School.

Jennifer Hightower, a counselor at West Park Elementary, said these multiple transitions risk social, emotional and academic harm.

“Anxiety does have adverse effects,” she said.

Tiegs’ proposal is intended to address a slow decline in enrollment, and loss of state funding. He said it will also enable the district to address critical facilities needs. All schools in the district are more than a half-century old.

Russell Elementary is not compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Its last significant renovation occurred for more than 50 years ago and most major maintenance projects have been deferred for more than a decade. The building is not crumbling, he said, but it needs significant investments to make it sustainable.

It will also free up resources for the district to fund all-day kindergarten itself and bolster its career and technical education program.

As it tries to compete with private and charter schools, Moscow School District cannot stick with the status quo, Tiegs said.

“We have to compete and we have to demonstrate to others that we have the superior product,” he said.

He said these changes should actually simplify bus routes and shorten transportation times.

As for the staff cuts, Tiegs said those will be decided based on a rubric of factors. Those factors include the number of certifications and endorsements, years of certified experience, compliance with professional standards and conduct, educational attainment and contribution in leadership positions. There could be opportunities for early retirement payouts.

Community members at Monday’s hearing voiced other concerns. Some wondered why the district did not yet have a plan for the Russell Elementary building once it’s closed. Others were concerned the staff cuts would disadvantage young teachers, and erode trust between the staff and administration. Some felt that Tiegs was rushing into the decision, and asked for more time to gather input.

Others supported the plan, saying the district needs to be proactive about addressing facility needs at Moscow’s aging schools and in making all of the elementary schools equitable.

Tiegs said that at some point the district will need to build a new building, or complete a significant remodel. Doing so will likely require a bond that will need two-thirds majority vote to pass.

Ken Faunce, chairperson of the Moscow School Board, urged people to email their thoughts to board members. The school board will discuss the superintendent’s proposal at its regular board meeting March 27.

Kuipers can be reached at akuipers@dnews.com.