Contact the Public Information Office, 253.571.1015, for additional information or assistance.
The Board of Directors met in a study session Oct. 16 to receive an update on the process of closing Gault and McIlvaigh middle schools and transitioning to the new middle school on Portland Avenue.
Naming of the building
The board reviewed the two names proposed by the Naming Committee which consists of 25 Gault and McIlvaigh students, parents, staff members and community members: Eastside Academy Middle School and First Creek Middle School. The names were the result of an extensive naming campaign this fall.
After discussion, the board asked the superintendent to bring back additional names for review and selected board member Debbie Winskill to join the committee. The committee will provide a broader list of possible names, gather community feedback and bring it back to the board at its Nov. 2 board meeting.
Preparation for the closure of two schools and opening of a new school
Gault Principal Delores Beason, who will be the principal of the new middle school, and McIlvaigh Principal Kathy Boyd updated the board on transition preparations. Both schools are combining on waiver days to prepare for the transition. In addition, both schools are planning joint activities to bring both school communities together. Boyd presented an extensive list of proposed activities for staff members, students, families and the community throughout the year.
A significant benefit of closing the two schools and opening a new school is that the new school will be able to provide a broader range of electives for students to enrich their academic experience. Importantly, Beason presented the new school vision proposal. Part of that vision is to create:
"A school where qualified, proven, dedicated staff partner with families and the community to support the achievement of every child…in classrooms where every student is safe and actively engaged in learning…and where every staff member truly believes that she/he makes the critical difference in every student’s life and that all students can and will be successful learners."
The board commended the principals on the development of the vision of the new middle school. “I am a child of poverty. I am a product of Tacoma. I grew up in Salishan,” said Beason. “The Tacoma Public Schools creates good people. I will hold onto this dream.”
Boundaries
Dr. Jarvis told the board that there would be no major boundary shifting in preparation for the opening in 2009 although boundary adjustments may need to be made in the future. Thirty percent of the middle school students who reside in either the Gault or McIlvaigh boundaries attend Giaudrone or Stewart. He noted that we would ask that the seventh- and eighth-grade students attending those schools finish their middle school experiences there.
The next regular board meeting is Thursday, Oct. 23, at 6 p.m. in the fourth-floor auditorium of the Central Administration Building.