Lakewood city government leaders want the Clover Park School District’s Board and Facilities Advisory Committee (FAC) to hurry up and decide to do what all apparently say is inevitable: demolish and relocate Woodbrook Middle School.
Lakewood Mayor Don Anderson called the school’s demise and the redevelopment of its property a “one-minute opportunity.” Quoting Shakespeare the mayor said: “There is a tide in the affairs of men . . . and we must take the current when it serves. Or lose our ventures.”
But Shakespeare also said, “‘Tis all men’s office to speak patience.”
Lakewood City government wants a “fast-paced decision” made by the CPSD to the end that a Woodbrook Business Park could be developed on the site currently occupied by Woodbrook Middle School, a school that three-years-ago-this-November celebrated its 50th anniversary.
Government leaders want the school gone “sooner than later.”
“The longer we delay,” said Councilmember John Simpson, “could mean walking away” from what Simpson estimated were “1,600 jobs paying $57 per hour.”
The CPSD and its FAC say they have a process for such matters and plan on following it.
Government sees the economic potential of the property.
School leaders emphasized location as a valued priority. “Every community needs a quality school,” said CPSD Board President Marty Shafer.
With a nod to the City Council, Shafer said that while “a better facility can sometimes make a person hold their head up,” staff too can play that role.
Indeed Woodbrook Middle School, now all of 53 years old, has for the second consecutive year received a School of Distinction Award presented by the Center for Educational Effectiveness.
In 2009 the FAC thought perhaps federal funds might be made available to build a replacement school on JBLM. That turns out not to be the case and thus a new school would require the district to pursue a new bond campaign “which means additional taxes for citizens.”
But the city countered that “an increase in commercial opportunities in Lakewood (as envisioned with the redevelopment of the Woodbrook campus) would help get more bonds passed.”
The controversial Rental Housing Safety Program (RHSP) the City Council created in a 6-1 vote this past August 1 “could reduce the total number of available rental units in that area,” according to the minutes of the Joint School Board/City Council Meeting June 11, 2016.
The RHSP thus appears, at least in this context, to serve as much the purpose of the boon it presents to the economy than concern for public safety.
Several years ago, former City of Lakewood Economic Development Director Ellie Chambers stated that “economic development should reflect community values – what we want to be known for – what is important to the people that live there.”
Business expansion and the growth of governmental services as its companion, or excellence in education by virtue of its dedicated staff and convenience of location?
More to come as the discussion continues, or, as Shakespeare would say, ‘Wherefore art thou Woodbrook Middle School?’
Shakespeare also said in his play King Henry VI “The first thing we do, let’s kill all the lawyers”….several of which are on Council and in city government. “1,600 jobs paying $57 per hour.” ? What planet does Council member Simpson live on? This from someone who sold me 3 bicycles at his garage sale for $20.00 which were worth over $600.00. Does anyone on Council know anything about money or the private sector economy? Apparently not. Follow the money! It looks like Lakewood’s council and bureaucracy have visions of sugar plums dancing in their heads. Certainly a high density commercial/industrial park will generate more tax revenue than a middle school, but so would bulldozing all the residential properties in Woodbrook and other “substandard” (according to Council) neighborhoods. Oh…..that’s what they intended to do all along didn’t they? The real questions are why does Lakewood need all this tax revenue when the result would be an expanded government and to what purpose? What is Council planning to do with all this money? Until Lakewood’s Council can answer that question there should be no decision made regarding Woodbrook Middle School or any other scheme to generate more revenue for the City….it’s our money coming from out of our pockets no matter what the rationale given by Council.
How sad to value money over education. Mr. Simpson, being an educator himself, should know the financial gains reaped from a well educated populace. Education first should be the primary concern of our gov’t., economic gain will follow.
It is certainly clear that the Lakewood City Council feels no responsibility to Woodbrook Middle School. The dollar signs are whirring in the minds of the entire city council with nary a thought to the military and neighborhood students who attend WMS. WMS is a School of Distinction TWO years in a row. This honor doesn’t come easily. It is a result of the hard work of a long time committed principal, devoted staff and students who know that adults support and believe in them.
The Lakewood City Council isn’t only to blame. The school district has known about the rezoning since 2009 and made no move to plan for Woodbrook’s future. In fact, only one member of the recently held FAC at the end of September voted to keep Woodbrook open past the end of the 2016-2017 school year.
A middle school could easily be built in this industrial park. It is done elsewhere in America. Where in the world is the vision and support for our future citizens? The proposed plans for the middle schools students is to bus them to Mann and Lochburn, both crumbling and old facilities. Portables would be erected. Teaching staff, which have built strong programs at Woodbrook for students, would be flung to the winds with no guarantee to be kept together (that is, if they don’t jump ship to other districts who value their experience.)
Why couldn’t the district and the city come together in an epic vision of true concern for our military children and citizens of Tillicum and build a brand new K-8 school. The Tacoma School District invests in its poorer neighborhoods.
Notice that Hudtloff, in a higher economic part of Lakewood, was rebuilt. Harrison Prep, a charter school disguised as a public school who turns away any student they want to and kicks “problem” students back to their home district, was certainly fast tracked and built.
Shakespeare certainly did write “There is a tide in the affairs of men . . . and we must take the current when it serves. Or lose our ventures.” There are many ventures indeed to be lost with the bulldoze speed with which the city wants to displace community members, a school and its staff.
http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/local/education/article109531682.html – video posted late afternoon, Thursday, October 20, 2016 by Peter Haley, Tacoma News Tribune, purporting to show why Woodbrook Middle School is in need of “$16 million in preventative maintenance and system upgrades.”
I’m proud to be a Woodbrook teacher and I’m proud of the community I serve. Some may consider the neighborhood to be less than beautiful but I see a place where kids work hard despite the challenges they face. Our families work hard too and they deserve to be treated with respect. If the city of Lakewood wants to build a business park then do it the right way. Work with the district and give the military families and neighborhood families a voice. Have a plan for the families that will be displaced and don’t expect them to magically find other affordable housing. I’m so lucky to work with a truly remarkable staff. We are a family at Woodbrook and we put service first. Not many people get to say they love their job and the people they work with. I hope we can come together and save my school.
By the way, I just read that the Lakewood city council going to vote on Nov 21st to change the process to make it even easier for this property and the other industrial properties in Lakewood to be developed.
The change will make it so no one other than the city itself will review the developer’s plans. Currently they are reviewed by someone outside of the city to make sure no corners are being cut.
The city council really seems to be greasing the slope for these developers without caring about the impact on the neighborhoods.
The change being voted on is called CPA-2016-14 if you want to look it up. If you want to continue to have someone besides the city reviewing development plans, I suggest you contact the city council before they vote on the change.
I went to Woodbrook until I was transferred to Lochburn because of a bus route change. Woodbrook was a great school, got along with everyone, great kids and great teachers then I went to Lochburn which was full of drugs and thugs who fought all the time, talked back to teachers and one student even knifed a teacher in the lunch room.
Would hate to see Woodbrook go but I’m sure we need a new Middle School. Just look at all of the middle schools problems and replace the one that needs the most help, not for the reason of business development.
Business development should be centered at the location of the old theater and closed businesses on Motor Ave. That area is an eyesore now and the area is closer to the town center where business should be held.