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The district is governed by a five-member school board, each elected to a four-year term:
- Max Carrera (Term Expires – 2015)
- Cindy Meyer (Term Expires – 2013)
- Dan Hess (Term Expires – 2013)
- Dr. Jim Lehmann (Term Expires – 2015)
- Anne Golden (Term Expires – 2015)
Click for more information about our Board >
| District Staffing (as of Summer 2011) |
- Administrators - 31
- Teachers – 385
- Support Staff - 394
| District Enrollment (2009-2010) |
Student counts based on “Head Count”
In-school programs - 5997 (does not include WWCC Running Start or WWCC AEP)
| Walla Walla Public Schools Student Ethnic Population |
- Caucasian (59 percent)
- Hispanic (36 percent)
- African American (1 percent)
- Asian (1 percent)
| Walla Walla Public Schools at a glance |
Students
Walla Walla Public Schools educates a diverse population of nearly 6,000 students. The district is comprised of: one high school, one secondary alternative education center, two middle schools, six elementary schools, and a child development center hosting HeadStart/ECEAP programs.
Programs
A broad range of course offerings and programs that are aligned with the Washington State Learning Goals are offered to students at all grade levels.
Staffing
Our district employs more than nearly 800 staff members - excluding substitutes and part-time coaches. Nearly 400 teachers are employed -- 70 percent of whom hold master’s degrees. Each year more than 1,000 volunteers team to provide learning opportunities for students.
Finance
The district receives 70% of its revenue from the state, 16% locally, and 14% from federal sources. The total general fund budget for the 2009-2010 school year was $60,418,755 which averages an expenditure of approximately $10,100 per student.
Local Levy Support
In 2008 Walla Walla voters approved a four-year replacement Maintenance and Operations levy. Levy approval secures local funding for essential district programs and staff.
The district maintains an A-1 bond rating, saving taxpayers thousands of dollars in interest costs.
Secondary
Walla Walla High School supports a four-year, comprehensive program. Core curriculum, a vocational program, Advanced Placement, English acquisition, special education, and fine arts courses are offered. Running Start to earn college credits is also available.
Middle School
The middle school programs include teaching teams at each grade level offering two to three core courses for the same 60-90 students. The middle schools also have an Explorer Gifted Learning program, special education, transitional English, elective and exploratory classes.
Elementary
Elementary schools offer a complete curriculum with a core focus on literacy, mathematics, and social sciences. Bilingual and English acquisition courses are offered. Low class sizes in kindergarten (all day) and first grade are featured.
Preschool
The Child Development Center offers a comprehensive preschool program, including Head Start and Early Childhood Education Assistance Program (ECEAP).
Special Programs
Alternative
Secondary Alternative Education includes: Lincoln High School and Alternative Education Program at Walla Walla Community College. Homelink (serving home school students and online learning) is located at Berney Elementary.
Special Education
Walla Walla Public Schools provides special education services to students who range in age from birth through 21 and have a documented disability.
Special education provides support to students so they can be successful in an educational setting. Our services include special instruction, physical and occupational therapy, speech and language services, transportation, counseling, school health services, behavioral support, rehabilitation and recreation services, and parent training.
Our Individualized Educational Program team determines what services and supports are needed to provide an appropriate educational program for each of our approximately 735 students who are currently receiving special education support.
High school students may be eligible for the Community Resource Training Program supported by local businesses. Community job experiences are provided for students in grades 9 through 12. More than 60 local employers provide work sites to help our students enhance their work skills. Students may rotate through eight different vocational placements during their first two years of high school. In their junior and senior years, students advance to more individualized volunteer or paid work experiences. Many times these work positions are supplemented with vocational classes at the high school or community college.
More than 60 special education students are participating in the Community Resource Training class. Special education staff support the students as they learn new job skills and experience the satisfaction of working in the community in real jobs. This program has emphasized the important link between the world of school and the world of work. Our students are learning which career paths match their own personal skills and interests.
Contact the Special Education Department at 527-3000.
Click for more information about Special Education >
District Programs
In 2009-10, the district received 65% of its revenue from the state, 16% locally, and 19% from **federal sources. The total general fund budget for the 2010-11 school year was $62,116,176, which averages an expenditure of approximately $10,655 per student.
Walla Walla Public Schools, in partnership with the community, is committed to excellence in personalized learning which challenges and supports all students in becoming educated, productive citizens, and life-long learners.
We Believe...
- Students are the focus of all our efforts.
- Learning is a lifelong process and, all students, recognizing differences, must be given equitable opportunities to reach their potential and to develop a love of learning.
- Family and community partnerships create an environment for successful student learning.
- Effective communication is essential to the partnership for learning.
- Staff best help students to succeed by inspiring, challenging and guiding students to reach their full potential.
- Student mastery of core educational content and skills is essential for success in a rapidly changing world. These skills include the ability to solve problems, think analytically and creatively, attain fluency in all modes of communication, work effectively with others, and apply what has been learned to new situations.
- Each student learns best when there is trust, caring, and mutual respect, and where the learning environment is safe, disciplined, engaging, creative, challenging, and supportive.
- The major role of all members of the educational community is to prepare students to become responsible, ethical, and productive members of society.
- Professional development is critical to maintaining quality of all staff.
Excellence in Every Classroom
Goal 1: Provide a learning environment which meets the needs of individual learners, raises student achievement and educates the whole child
Strategies:
- Meet individual learning needs of all students and cultivate partnerships and relationships with parents
- Research and expand alternative learning options to motivate, engage, challenge and support all students
- Ensure all curriculum, assessment and instruction is tied to standards
- Collaborate, educate and partner with the community to ensure all children are kindergarten ready
- Promote development of healthy living, lifestyles and safe schools
Goal 2: Promote a positive and fulfilling work environment
Strategies:
- Implement a measurable and consistent teacher, principal and staff evaluation system
- Hire, train and retain quality staff
- Ensure a work culture that acknowledges people and their effort as the norm
- Encourage curiosity and innovative approaches to problem solving
Goal 3: Enhance trust among our students, staff, parents and community
Strategies:
- Intentionally educate and solicit responses and input from stakeholders and under-represented groups
- Encourage, acknowledge, value and consider different points of view
Goal 4: Ensure an efficient operations system with adequate resources
Strategies:
- Build upon budget protocols that reflect the WWSD as stewards of community resources
- Create and maintain facilities to ensure the ability to meet 21st century learning demands
Click for more information about our Strategic Plan >
| Distance from Walla Walla to... |
Seattle, Wash. (273 miles northwest)
Boise, Idaho (254 miles southeast)
Portland, Ore. (248 miles west)
Spokane, Wash. (181 miles north)
Yakima, Wash. (130 miles northwest)
Lewiston, Idaho (98 miles east)
Tri-Cities, Wash. (50 miles northwest)
Pendleton, Ore.(41 miles southwest)
How to Register For School
Students may register mid-August to mid-June at their attendance area school. District boundary maps detailing your attendance area are available at all Walla Walla Public Schools and the district office. Attendance area is based on street address.
Elementary School
Students entering Kindergarten must be five years old on or before August 31.
What is needed:
- birth certificate or hospital birth record
- list of immunizations
Secondary School
What is needed:
- list of immunizations
- withdrawal sheet or report card from the previous school
All Day Kindergarten
Prospective kindergartners should register at their attendance area elementary schools. Registration is typically the third week of March. Please see the district’s website and local newspapers for specific dates. District boundary maps detailing your attendance area are available at all Walla Walla Public Schools and the district office (www.wwps.org). Attendance area is based on street address.
Attendance Area Schools
Students living within the attendance boundaries are given preference to attend that school. If students in an attendance area fill that school to its capacity, open enrollment and transfer requests from outside the district into the school may be denied.
Parents/guardians of students who reside within the Walla Walla Public Schools district may request open enrollment to another school within the district provided that: the school has the attendance capacity and programs to meet the student’s needs; and the parent/guardian provides transportation to the school of choice for the student.
Open enrollment forms are available at the student’s attendance area school (K-8). Application for open enrollment must be requested annually on a first-come, first-served basis. A designated open enrollment period is scheduled the third week of March to help establish placement priorities. Open enrollment procedures are available at your attendance area school.
Click for more information about Open Enrollment >
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