New Beginnings for Former Columbia Elementary in Wenatchee

A proposal is afoot to resuscitate the former Columbia Elementary School in Wenatchee.

The Wenatchee School District on Tuesday proposed relocating Valley Academy to the former Columbia campus. Scheduled for the summer, this move is consistent, the district says, with a rising interest in alternative learning. Valley is a K-8 parent-partnership institution, combining at-home and on-campus instruction.

"ALE (alternative learning experience) programs allow our students to utilize their facilities in different ways throughout the week," said Superintendent Kory Kalahar. "Valley does that; they have different programming days and different programming times for different students."

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"We're looking for that more complete, well-rounded learning opportunity and environment for the students. That really revolves around the facility needs."

After years of cratering enrollment, Columbia went dark in June, though not without a voluminous outcry. (Click here to read our conversation with a Columbia teacher mourning the school's closure.) Since then, the district has evaluated its future use with stakeholders. Kalahar says the proposal was born from a meticulous assessment of district finances, enrollment goals, community needs - and community wants. It can be hard to differentiate sentimental value from true value, but the former Columbia site holds both, according to Kalahar: "We want to continue honoring Columbia's 100-year history in our valley." What better tribute, Kalahar asks, than to retain the site as a "community asset?"

As for enrollment, the relocation offers Valley a larger facility, allowing it to expand to 9th and 10th grades. The potential upshot: a record enrollment of 270 children.

Under the proposal, Columbia's main building will house Valley. The current site of the academy may be surplused to fund as yet undefined capital projects.

New Milford Parents Have Facebook Debate On Whether Remote Learning is a Viable Option During COVID Surge

Many Americans are concerned for their health and the health of their children with a recent surge in positive COVID numbers and this rings true in New Milford, CT. Recently one parent created a Facebook post that read:

“One of my daughter’s said to me last night that she is scared of going to school and asked why we can’t do remote learning?’

The mother added that her daughter remarked there were “barely and kids” in her math class. She wanted to know what everyone else on the New Milford Facebook page thought, asking if they think remote learning should be an option. Finally, she shared a screen shot, she took of the New Milford Public Schools COVID Dashboard. The picture showed the statistics that were available for January of 2022 so far. Below are some of the responses the woman received.

Gallery Credit: Lou Milano