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School district looks for ‘remote and necessary’ status

“We’re obviously a remote school and we think it’s necessary,” Point Roberts primary school parent Ron Hughes told a state committee visiting the school to review eligibility for additional state funding as a remote and necessary school. “The community doesn’t exist as a community without a viable school at its heart,” agreed Irene Waters.

This year the Blaine school district is applying again to have Point Roberts primary designated a remote and necessary school, which would qualify the district for special funding to maintain the school. The district last applied, and was turned down, in 1997, said Point Roberts primary school principal Nancy Bakarich. “We have never been approved for remote and necessary funding,” she said.

During their April 23 visit members of the state committee asked parents, teachers and administrators why Point Roberts needed a primary school. “Why is it important for this school to be here rather than putting the kids on the bus to Blaine?” asked committee member John Kinnee of the Washington Association of School Administrators.

“It takes such a toll on them physically and takes away so many hours in the day they could be doing things,” said Afshan Khan, who has a daughter in the primary school. “When my kids started going to Blaine it took them a whole year to get used to the bus ride, coming home and just having a meltdown,” said school secretary Suzanne Prescott.

Parents agreed that especially for younger children, over an hour each way on the bus took a toll on their education. “In the winter they get on the bus in the dark and off in the dark,” said Linda Hughes, who has two children at the Point Roberts school. “Most kids do,” Kinnee demurred. “For some kids jumping on that bus in 4th grade will be a problem, for others it won’t.”
Parents told committee members that, if the Point wasn’t remote enough before, it should be now.

“The problem of remoteness has gotten so much worse since September 11,” said Ben Van Buskirk, who has a son and daughter at the primary school and an older son who rides the bus to Blaine. “If I go and pick him up, I’m not sure if I’ll make it,” he said, citing border waits that could be five minutes or could be an hour. “I don’t feel as connected to what is going on over there. It’s hard to drop in, find out what’s happening and continue with that at home. It’s hard to be an active part of your child’s education. If this meeting was in Blaine, I wouldn’t be there.”

Ron Woldeit, member of the state board of education, asked parents how they stayed involved with kids in Blaine schools. “The success of kids is parent involvement,” he said. “How do you deal with the remoteness?”

“You can make it work if you want to, but it’s a lot of planning” said Erica Loreen, who has a daughter in Point Roberts primary and three children in middle and high schools in Blaine. She described parking on the Canadian side and trotting across the border with her children to make baseball games, parent conferences, concerts. Other parents also complained that the distance and the border prevented many Point Roberts students from enjoying after school activities like theater and enrichment classes.

Woldeit also asked how Point Roberts students performed when they got to Blaine schools. “Anecdotally, Point Roberts kids have traditionally done well,” Bakarich said. “We’re compiling statistics to answer that question now.” Loreen said her children had all excelled when they got to Blaine schools after the first tiring year getting used to the bus trip.

Parents said small class sizes, dedicated teachers and staff and committed parent volunteers made the Point Roberts school a recipe for future academic success.

“The teachers are wonderful, the space is homey, it’s like a storybook school,” said Linda Hughes, who has two children at the school. “They get that undivided attention here in those crucial years,” said Pam Sim, parent of a primary school student and part-time school employee. “We build their self esteem and they’re ready for the big school.”

Ron Hughes said he would like to see the school expanded. “I’d personally like to see the school go to 8th grade,” he said, adding they were considering sending their children to Canadian schools after third grade rather than putting them on the bus, but were concerned about the considerable costs involved. He also asked whether funds could be used to start music programs or expand the school library.

“This is not looked at as additional funding,” said Blaine school board member Jane Woods, when parents asked if the remote and necessary funding would allow the Point Roberts school to grow. “This is looked at as replacing funds we’re already spending. Because of state cuts we’re looking at a $327,000 operating loss next year.”

“The trade-off to being small is there are some things you can’t afford,” Kinnee said. “You’re fortunate to be part of a larger system.”

“This won’t get you a lot more but you won’t lose what you’ve got,” Waters said. Waters and Woods also encouraged Point Roberts parents to run for a spot on the school board. “I’d love to see someone from Point Roberts take my place,” Woods said. “You have special input.”

State board of education staff member Pat Eirish said the committee would not decide whether the Point Roberts School qualified for remote and necessary status, but would make a recommendation to the board.

“We’re not here to make a decision but to get information,” she said. “The state board of education will make that decision at their June 4 meeting.”

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