
Not all classroom space is created
equal.
When the Bond Advisory Committee began
studying facility needs for Puyallup, Rogers, Emerald Ridge, and Walker high
schools, one of the most important things they discussed is instructional spaces.
Specific educational programs have certain requirements for things like extra
space, power, technology, machinery, chemicals, and movement of students within
the room.
The reality is, as the district has
grown over the past 30 years, educational programs and the critical skills and
knowledge students need for post-high school success have evolved. In some cases,
standard classrooms no longer meet the needs required for the success of key programs.
The skills learned in these programs take
students to the next level when they graduate.
The district has been creative in
making some programs work in classrooms that were not designed for them. One
example is the Nursing Assistant Certification program launched at Puyallup, Rogers,
and Emerald Ridge last year. Only certain classrooms could support the program,
based on the amount of power available in the room. Even then, the number of
students per class was limited due to space in the classroom.
This exciting new program is a first
step towards a career in health services for many students. It is regulated by
the nursing commission, and there are specific classroom environment requirements
to mimic industry standards. There are six electric hospital beds in the
classroom, and students need space to move around when practicing nursing skills.
Also required is a sink with a special faucet that meets health standards, portable
commodes to fill in for a practice restroom, and tables and chairs for
instructional space.
“Long-term this is really going to be
a viable program, and healthcare professionals are in such high demand. It was a
huge challenge to find space, and having the correct space would take this
program to a new level,” says Maija Thiel, director of instructional leadership
for career and technical education.

This is an example of one of the
educational programs that would benefit if the high school improvements bond is
approved. Additional and appropriately configured classroom space will allow
more students to access this program.
Through CTE courses,
Puyallup junior high and high school students are exploring career pathways in
Arts & Communications; Business & Marketing; Engineering &
Technology; Health & Human Services; and Science & Natural Resources. Career pathways are tools to help them get where they
want to go.
Thiel
says some CTE programs lend themselves to regular classrooms, but some key
programs have specific safety, space, and equipment requirements for students
to learn in. For example, Anatomy is taught in a regular classroom setting.
When students move up to Sports Medicine, they need training tables and
equipment such as mannequins with space to practice on them.
There are Science Technology Engineering
and Math (STEM) classes currently in the district with specialized spaces, such
as the Aerospace program at Emerald Ridge, Welding at Rogers, and Manufacturing
at Puyallup. Thiel said, “We’ve done a lot to refurbish classrooms to support
these programs. We try to remodel and update spaces that are already in place
to support our programs when possible. However, when we’re talking about
completely restructuring or retrofitting, sometimes it’s not possible to make
it an authentic classroom.”
New to the district this year is a pilot
Mechatronics Registered Apprenticeship program at Emerald Ridge. Students learn
the skills of a maintenance technician. The courses
include mechanical systems, technical drafting, and power systems. “We’ve
currently made it work in a portable space, kind of putting it together in
different ways, but we need a bigger space. Students are learning with small
kits that are miniature compared to the real components.”
Thiel says it’s really important that
these courses mirror what is happening across the industry, and sometimes that
requires the right space with the proper equipment.
Students at Walker High School are
interested in Business and Marketing and recently started an espresso cart to
serve students and staff. They work with vendors and distributors to learn the
coffee business. The goal is to provide opportunities to learn business skills by
opening a student store. At this time, the espresso cart is in a hallway, and there
is not enough classroom space for the store.
“We
are also taking care of our community as a whole. If we are doing things the
right way, as we prepare our students, the community wins. They are going to
have employees who have the right training and skills,” says Thiel.
Puyallup voters will be asked to consider the proposed
high school bond measure on November 5, 2019 to improve safety and security,
provide additional classroom space, and meet current educational specifications
for instructional spaces at Puyallup, Rogers, Emerald Ridge, and Walker high
schools.