I am one parent who happens to have a very particular set of skills. I have a background in researching the conditions of school facilities and investigating a (non-school) worker's complaint related to removing asbestos without the proper training or equipment. I'm also an advocate of good public education.
After the failure of the school bond in February, I realized the need to communicate the knowledge I've accumulated in the last four years about the conditions of Juanita High School's main building.
Juanita High's students, teachers, administrators and parents form a very close community. We care about each other and take great pride in our many academic, athletic and community accomplishments.
The teachers have been incredibly resourceful and resilient in providing an excellent education to our children in a very limited environment.
But no amount of can-do spirit or elbow grease can change the fact that this school building cannot support the diverse and technologically-based educational needs of today's high school students.
Nor would it be worth the cost to make the huge modifications needed to ensure the building meets current state standards for healthy high-performance high schools.
The best, most cost-effective option is to build a new Juanita High School.
I reached this conclusion after
This website is a work in progress (thanks to my nephew Paul, I learned a great deal in a short time about building websites) and hopefully the site will be temporary. My intention is to inform community members throughout the Lake Washington School District of the reasons why we need to build a new Juanita High School.
Everything I've included in this web site is supported by evidence. The photos were provided by folks familiar with the school. Some photos and the floor plans came from school documents. I've cited my sources. If more relevant information becomes available, I'll add it.
I apologize for any difficulty you may have in navigating this website.
Thank you for taking the time to become informed about this very serious matter affecting our children,
Sincerely,
Barb Billinghurst
After the failure of the school bond in February, I realized the need to communicate the knowledge I've accumulated in the last four years about the conditions of Juanita High School's main building.
Juanita High's students, teachers, administrators and parents form a very close community. We care about each other and take great pride in our many academic, athletic and community accomplishments.
The teachers have been incredibly resourceful and resilient in providing an excellent education to our children in a very limited environment.
But no amount of can-do spirit or elbow grease can change the fact that this school building cannot support the diverse and technologically-based educational needs of today's high school students.
Nor would it be worth the cost to make the huge modifications needed to ensure the building meets current state standards for healthy high-performance high schools.
The best, most cost-effective option is to build a new Juanita High School.
I reached this conclusion after
- touring JHS with the head custodian four years ago (4) and with another custodian again this year,
- talking to JHS teachers, students & administrators and to LWSD officials,
- reviewing documents on the school's history and environmental assessments,
- reviewing the district's cost analysis of earlier modernization projects involving other schools,
- studying the state requirements and recommendations for safe and high-performance schools, and
- reviewing research on the relationship between school building design and student health and academic achievement.
This website is a work in progress (thanks to my nephew Paul, I learned a great deal in a short time about building websites) and hopefully the site will be temporary. My intention is to inform community members throughout the Lake Washington School District of the reasons why we need to build a new Juanita High School.
Everything I've included in this web site is supported by evidence. The photos were provided by folks familiar with the school. Some photos and the floor plans came from school documents. I've cited my sources. If more relevant information becomes available, I'll add it.
I apologize for any difficulty you may have in navigating this website.
Thank you for taking the time to become informed about this very serious matter affecting our children,
Sincerely,
Barb Billinghurst