An effort to bring a multi-million-dollar vocational building to Sequim has stalled, but advocates of the proposed Center of Excellence say some significant pieces of the foundation have been laid.

Ned Floeter, director of Sequim School District’s Career and Technical Education (CTE) program, said that the community rallied behind efforts to fulfill the vision of several community groups and State Senator Lisa Wellman as they sought an approximate $15 million to 17.5-million CTE facility — called a Center of Excellence — at Sequim High School, but the funding did not come through in the 2023 Legislative session in Olympia.

“I thought this was a narrow window we could scoot through,” Floeter said last week, as local entities pledged or donated nearly $1 million in funds or in-kind services toward the proposal.

Colleen McAleer, executive director of the Clallam Economic Development Council, said in a phone interview that the project isn’t over.

“This is phase 1,” she said. “We absolutely have to have this to have a thriving community.”

School leaders and advocates sought local funds or services following a visit last summer from Wellman, chair of the Senate Committee on Early Learning and K-12 Education. She recognized the need for a CTE facility in Sequim, project backers noted, but wanted to see $1 million in community support in conjunction with legislative funding for the remainder of the project.

McAleer said a dozen business owners spoke during Wellman’s visit that if the school was teaching specific skill sets they’d be able to hire students at living wages

Following an outpouring of support from staff and stake- holders, she said, it was clear to Wellman that “a lack of facility to teach this type of curriculum” was Sequim’s issue.

“(The project) is something so needed, not just from the school district standpoint, but for the overall economy of Clallam,” McAleer added.

Within a few months, and helped in large part by the Clal- lam EDC and Sequim’s two Rotary organizations, the effort got $250,000 in backing from both the City of Sequim and Clallam County.Other contributors included the Albert Haller Foundation, Clallam Economic Development Council, Habitat for Humanity of Clallam County, and the Sequim Association of Realtors.

Floeter in particular credited Sequim schools superintendent Regan Nickels with leading the charge for the facility’s funding.

“I felt compelled to move forward quickly,” Floeter said. “Even though we had very little preparation, Senator Well- man was behind it … and, more importantly, our community was behind it.

“We were a little naive about the legislative process. [But] it was an incredible effort. There are very few things that unify a community. This is one of them that does.”

State input

Rep. Steve Tharinger (D-Port Townsend) said in a phone interview that the capital budget committee considered the project as a “one off” and that for the capital budget they look at skills centers, centers of excellence, and other CTE building efforts across the state in a systematic approach.

“We don’t just do one-offs,” he said.

“There’s some opportunity in the next session and possibly the following one to do more.”

Need across the state for CTE is huge, Tharinger said, and many areas incorporate a number of approaches, such as CTE programs through community colleges.

He said representatives want to make sure funding isn’t being redundant, and they wanted more structure to the project.

McAleer said they recognize the need for more detailed analysis of what the center would cost.

“We want to get it to as low of a price point as possible,”she said. However, prevailing wage requirements comparable to larger areas like King County are one prohibitive issue.

She added that next steps must be led by school district and Peninsula College leaders to drive credential certificate programs and say what facilities are needed.

“We are supportive partners connecting them with businesses and their needs,” McAleer said.

Tharinger said in his eight years as chair of the state’s capital budget committee, local funding — such as the $1 million community match — is important.

“That’s sort of what we’re trying to do with CTE,” he said. “If there’s a local match, it helps in scoring projects (for funding).”

A fundamental driver that’s made CTE programs successful, Tharinger said, has been partnerships with industries.

“Some of that is in Sequim so that is key because the state is looking at investment,” he said.

“Building that partnership and strengthening will be key.

“It takes some time.”

Next steps

Last week, Floeter said he was busy writing constituents notifying constituents who had provided support and returning donations if applicable. And he’ll meet with Sequim city councilors to give them an update on the proposal at their June 12 meeting.

And while the center didn’t receive funding this session, Floeter said he’s working with local and regional lawmakers to help school districts like Sequim have a chance to construct the kind of vocational center that would have a fundamentally positive impact for the schools and community.

Current state legislation allows for schools to be granted construction funds if they are large (10,000 students or more) or relatively small (1,000 students or less) — which leaves a district like Sequim, with its approximate 2,500 students, needing to pass a local bond.

“We don’t qualify for either of those,” Floeter said. “We’re not big enough and we’re too big.

“We’re going to work that legislative process this year in the meantime.”

Floeter said he’s working with legislators to get that policy language amended in the next legislative cycle, so that schools like Sequim could apply for small school construction grants.

He also said that he wants Sequim to be ready to apply for those grants — which will still require some legwork and funding. Floeter said school districts need to have a number of things in place before they apply; in particular, that means architectural and land use issues are resolved before an application (and funding) is approved.

“They’re going to make sure we’ve done our homework,” Floeter said.

Floeter — who also works as the district’s principal at Olympic Peninsula Academy and Dungeness Virtual School — said he has a comprehensive plan for CTE programs that includes: pursuit of with local, regional, state and federal grants for CTE equipment and resources; pursuit of partnerships with local and regional businesses and industries to connect students with employees; increasing student access to dual-credit courses through community colleges, as well as apprenticeships/internships; creation of a “reverse e apprenticeship program” that sees industry professionals visit with and train students in classrooms; invest in students attending CTE leadership conferences and competitions; and, continue pursuit of a $15 million grant to build a Career Technical Center.

And while a Center of Excellence is what the project has been called, Floeter said, “it has less to do with a building and more to do with a mindset.

“The building will make it better, but there’s a lot that goes into excellence.”

About the facility

Initial plans have the CTE facility located on school district property at the northeast corner of North Sequim Avenue and West Hendrickson Road. The building would be 100 feet by 200 feet, with three “open bays” of 40 feet by 100 feet, along with two fully resourced classrooms, restrooms and showers, and a full, restaurant-grade kitchen.

The building could double as an emergency shelter for the community, and potentially as an after-hours program/campus for Peninsula College, school district staff said.

About 1,000 Sequim students are enrolled in at least one Career and Technical Education course, Floeter said in a previous inter- view, with the school district offering more than 30 CTE courses, including biomedical science, automotive and welding services, computer science, agriculture and more.

Floeter said district staff have with the facility targeted five-six career “clusters” — primarily, manufacturing, light and heavy manufacturing, health care and hospitality — that “within our region provides most economic impact; the greatest need [for employers] and provide living wages for graduates.”

McAleer said many students aren’t going into four-year programs and CTE can provide skills and other options for careers.

“People say our greatest export is our kids and this is a direct attempt to rectify that,” she said.

She said the EDC’s Five-Year Strategic Plan (clallam.org/5-year-plan) revealed that more than 300 business owners reported their key barrier for growth was a skilled workforce, and of 500-plus random interviews, the third most pressing concern for residents was the lack of jobs that meet basic living needs.