White Salmon Valley School District selects Design West Architects

“I want to sincerely thank our local law enforcement agencies and first responders for their partnership and rapid response,” he said. “Their coordination, communication, and presence throughout the situation were critical. We are fortunate to have strong relationships with our emergency response partners, and that collaboration was evident that day.”

Polkinghorn also recognized staff and students for following established emergency protocols throughout the event, and acting “quicky and appropriately during a stressful situation.”

The incident remains under investigation.

Bond update

As reported last month, the district interviewed three architectural firms following the passage of its $77.8 million bond to create a unified, renovated campus, and one has now been selected: Design West Architects. The firm, located in the Tri-Cities, came highly recommended, Polkinghorn said, and has worked with districts in Oregon, Washington, and western Idaho.

Representatives visited May 28-29 to gather staff input and understand “how our spaces can best support teaching, learning, safety, and student experience moving forward,” he said. Project phasing — the order in which projects will be completed, and how to approach the overall construction process — is also being discussed.

“Moving students and staff around while construction is happening is a logistical Rubik’s Cube,” he said. “It is solvable, but there will absolutely be some displacement and temporary adjustments along the way. Our goal is to maximize every possible dollar so we can put as many resources as possible directly into improving our facilities for students and staff long term.”

Negotiations are still underway, but Polkinghorn said he expected to bring a contract forward at the board’s June meeting for approval.

Later that evening, the board approved a resolution to authorize a sale of $40 million of bonds. The sale is expected to take place sometime in the next few weeks, Polkinghorn said.