The Sequim School District board of directors got a glimpse of what its new central kitchen will look like at the board meeting on June 18.

As the 2017-18 school year wrapped up last week, the district’s new kitchen is steadily moving toward its new space at the northwest corner of the Community School tentatively set to be finished by October.

The Vanir Construction Management team gave a brief overview of the project’s timeline at the Monday board meeting and noted permit drawings were submitted to the City of Sequim June 1 and the project is moving toward its abatement phase, set to start in July.

Vanir representatives said an abatement walk-through was performed and contract bids for abatement are out and should be determined this week. Abatement will first take place in the kitchen, followed by demolition and then renovation of the new kitchen.

The new space will have a new roof structure, new kitchen equipment, a new freezer or cooler space and configuration and a design that is said to efficiently tie in with future school construction, representatives noted in their presentation to board directors.

The full site structure deconstruction is set to start between late August and September with the new kitchen tentatively up and running by October. Vanir representatives said deconstruction will be complete between October and November.

Director Brandino Gibson asked representatives if the playground next to the Community School will be impacted at any time during the project, and representatives said it might be at some point during abatement but it would not be closed off for long.

Director Jim Stoffer noted that a project such as this size has not been seen in the district for a long time.

“For this district, this is a very big priority,” he said.

Portables on the way

In an interview, superintendent Gary Neal said the district has purchased eight portables from Central Kitsap School District because the moving company set to move the original portables sought from Port Townsend backed out. Neal said the district purchased the eight portables from Kitsap for $800 total with an estimated moving cost of $140,000.

“Central Kitsap had a surplus of some items,” Neal said.

Neal said part of the Capital Project Levy money has been allotted to the cost of purchasing and moving the portables. The portables are tentatively set to be moved in July to the site near Olympic Peninsula Academy (OPA) where five double sized portables and one single will be housed. Neal said the primary purpose of these portables is to house the 100 OPA students in the five double portables and provide an office space for the school with the one single.

The district is going through the steps for permitting with the City of Sequim to place the portables near OPA. Neal said the two extra double portables are tentatively to be placed at both Helen Haller Elementary School and Greywolf Elementary School. The two doubles can supposedly house two classrooms, Neal said, which will open two more classroom spaces for both elementary schools.

Some of the furniture in the Kitsap portables, such as desks, may be repurposed for Sequim students, Neal added. He said a date has not been set to place the two extra portables at the elementary schools.

Board roundup

Board directors also discussed or approved the following at the Monday meeting: The board reviewed strategic planning goals for the district’s future with a presentation by David Engle. The strategic planning process took about five month to create these goals. The planning committee came up with six goal statements, which have been identified around learning and teaching, technology, information and communication, community connections and resources, safety and security and fiscal goals.

Neal presented a certificate of appreciation to several community members, such as Larry Jeffryes who helped raise $8,000 toward Meals for Sequim Kids

At second reading and approval, the board approved grammar changes to policy 5020 regarding collective bargaining.

The board will decide if it will roll-over or extend Neal’s superintendent contract to 2021 by the end of the month. The next board meeting is set for 6 p.m. on Monday, July 16, at the district boardroom, 503 N. Sequim Ave.

Vanir Construction Management Inc. project director Tobi Maggi shows a layout of Sequim School District’s new central kitchen at the board meeting on June 18. Sequim Gazette photo by Erin Hawkins