The Community Facility Advisory Committee: What it’s All About
Photos and article by: Kathleen Kohler
Whether strolling downtown, where you’ll find pockets of new construction, or driving up the Basin road, where multiple developments are underway, everywhere you go you’ll see signs Sultan is growing. Over the next few years, Sultan is projected to experience significant growth.
A burgeoning community brings with it increased demands on everything from public services, school resources and transportation, to more vehicles traveling our roadways.
Considering the expansion of our community and looking to the future, last summer the Sultan School Board established the Community Facilities Advisory Committee (CFAC). The Board posted information online about the new committee and invited local citizens to participate. Twenty-six community members along with both current and retired school staff responded to the invitation and have agreed to volunteer their time.
Since August the committee has held several meetings. They’ve toured other schools that have effectively accommodated for student population and addressed current safety concerns. With plans to tour each school facility within the district, the group will perform a comprehensive evaluation, and note any areas of concern. They will determine which projects on their list need immediate attention. They will also consider what types of projects fall under general maintenance, and determine short term and long term needs of each structure.
Currently, the two most pressing concerns include the bus barn and the forty-two aging portables in use throughout the district. As one committee member recently pointed out, portables are notoriously inefficient to heat and maintain. Not to mention in today’s culture they pose added safety risks.
More than six-decades old, the building adapted for use as the current bus barn has deteriorated. For some time now, the district has considered options to relocate the bus barn. Their efforts in this are ongoing.
Due to the openness of the school campuses safety is another priority under consideration by the committee.
Once the committee completes their assessment they will then present their findings along with their recommendations to the school board for further review.
As the population of Sultan increases the School Board is doing everything possible to meet the challenges and education needs of not only today’s students, but of those in the future.