Superintendent Miller addresses how new College Place High School will impact Wa-Hi

Superintendent Miller addresses how new College Place High School will impact Wa-Hi

APRIL 19, 2012: Frequently Asked Questions: How would this proposal impact Walla Walla High School?

1. Did the bond pass?
1. As of today, the Yes vote is 60.99%. The trend is positive and the bond should pass.

1. How many College Place students attend Walla Walla High School?
1. As of February 2, 2012, 350 College Place students attend Walla Walla High School

1. When will College Place High School open?
1. That has not been determined. However, according to College Place Superintendent Tim Payne, the Davis School renovation will occur first. There is a conceptual design, but ed specs have not been completed. My guess is this will bid sometime next school year and begin construction in summer 2013.
2. The high school will be constructed on the Sager/Meadowbrook campus. Initial thought was the school will first open with 9th graders, then add a class a year.
3. Again, my guess, is this school could open in September 2015.

1. Will there be open enrollment and easy movement between the two high schools?
1. Both College Place High School and Walla Walla High School would be staffed for a set number of students, thus making open enrollment not feasible.
2. If movement between the two schools was equal, students would be able to move easily.
3. However, if movement between schools was skewed towards one school, the receiving school would be full and would not be able to take additional choice students.

1. How will staffing at Walla Walla High School be impacted by a new College Place High School?
1. Using existing staffing formulas, the loss of 350 students from Walla Walla High School would mean the loss of approximately 15 teachers, or 75 sections from the master schedule.
2. However, one must remember that the College Place High School will not open for probably three years and not have all students for six or seven years.
3. THERE WILL BE NO IMMEDIATE STAFFING IMPACT AT WA-HI, nor will there be for a couple of years at the earliest.

1. Could a College Place High School student take classes at Walla Walla High School?
1. Only if there was space at Walla Walla High School and if funding from College Place Public Schools followed the student. The same would go for a Walla Walla student wanting to take a class in College Place.

1. Could a College Place High School student participate in athletic extra-curricular activities at Walla Walla High School?
1. No. Washington Interscholastic Activities Association rules prohibit a student from one school participating in another schools athletic programs.

1. How will the loss of students impact Walla Walla High Schools athletic classification?
1. The reduction of students from Walla Walla High School would move Walla Walla High School to the 3A classification in all sports. Walla Walla High School would remain in the Mid-Columbia Conference since the conference is a combined 3A/4A conference.

1. Would College Place High School be able to participate in Walla Walla High School music, drama and Future Farmers of America programs?
1. No. Co-curricular programs at Walla Walla High School, including music, drama and FFA, are reserved for Walla Walla students only.

Walla Walla Public Schools
Mick Miller, Superintendent
364 S. Park St.
Walla Walla, WA

509.526.6714 (office)
509.230.6978 (cell)
mmiller@wwps.org