A building, and a vision

Apr. 12—The Clarkston High School isn't just about building a facility, it's about building a vision for education.

For Clarkston School District administrators like Superintendent Thaynan Knowlton and high school principal Doug LaMunyan, they want to engage students and change the way they think about education. They are asking residents in the Clarkston School District to help grow that vision by approving a bond of $79 million for 25 years at an estimated tax rate of $2.84 per $1,000 of assessed value. Ballots were mailed out Saturday and need to be returned by April 25. The bond needs 60% of the vote plus one in order to pass.

The design will keep the auditorium and Adams building along with the T building located northwest of the auditorium. The classroom wing was built in 1955 and the career technical education building will be demolished with a new structure.

"It was really designed in the '50s for a '50s education and we want to improve and change things," Knowlton said about the classroom wing.

It's not the first time the district has asked for a new high school. The last attempt was in 2017 and the cost was $60.5 million. The design has a similar layout, but the construction will be done in phases to avoid learning disruptions and the cost of having students in portable classrooms. Aside from the design, one of the biggest differences from the 2017 design is the educational model that officials hope to achieve with the new high school.

"I think we've got a really clear vision," Knowlton said about this bond's approach.

Academies

Part of that vision is creating three learning academies at the high school focusing on different areas: health, science and arts. Health classes including classes on nursing, EMTs, education, law, public and human services. Science courses include technology, engineering, math and agriculture. Art classes include marketing, finance, communication and informational technology.

Teachers would still have students meet state requirements, but the classes would be filtered through those academies. In those classes they would learn about occupations and how what they are learning applies to a career. Students can also switch academies during their high school careers.

LaMunyan said that the academy approach serves two main purposes, exposing students to many career options and helping them engage with their learning by showing how it applies to life outside the classroom.

"The end goal is to make education more relevant to students," LaMunyan said, which will also help the students enjoy school more. "The content doesn't change dramatically, but how it ties to occupations does change."

LaMunyan noticed that students were becoming frustrated with their education because they weren't seeing how their English or math class was connected to a future career or occupation. That also led to some students dropping out of school altogether.

When he was a student LaMunyan said students learned whatever the teacher told them and didn't ask questions. Now students are wanting to know why, which already starts them down the road to be better learners by asking questions.

"We believe that a more integrated approach will lead to deeper thinkers and a deeper understanding," Knowlton said. "Instead of going 6 inches deep a mile wide, maybe we go a mile deep in a few feet to really understand how things work and how things fit and are connected and related."

It also means that students will get cross-instructional learning: What they learn in math class they can apply to science, history and writing a paper for English.

"If we can produce students that can explain to you how certain subjects are related and connected mathematically, with some historical context, with the science behind it, with some writing skills and the ability to problem-solve and debate and challenge — these are really well-rounded students that I think can be highly competitive in the world," Knowlton said.

The academy approach also will focus the different classes in that academy. For example, a math class in the health academy will teach health statistics and an arts academy math class will teach marketing.

"It allows us to focus the way we provide instruction," Knowlton said.

LaMunyan wants to bring in professionals into the classroom to have them speak on how the learning applies to careers, including some more obscure and less known professions.

"The academy plan primarily is designed to expose kids to opportunities," Knowlton said. "We just like options, more options."

The academy model is also designed into the plans for the new high school. The classroom will be set up in learning "pods," with four classrooms and a science lab. For example, students can go from English to math to science to history in the same classroom wing, without having to travel across campus. It will also make it easier for teachers to collaborate by having shared learning commons in the classroom wings as well.

Career technical education is a big factor in the academy model and the designs for the new high school. Knowlton said that many students aren't interested in continuing their education at a four-year university, so career technical education lets them get hands-on industry experience in a variety of fields. The district also looked at the needs of the Lewiston-Clarkston Valley and saw that manufacturing, health and education were the top professions.

"There's a lot that goes on in the valley here and in the world that requires hands-on understanding of how things work," Knowlton said. "Plus sometimes it can be really engaging for kids to build something and to learn how something works from the inside-out."

If the bond doesn't pass the school district is still planning to move forward with the academy model and to expand on career technical education. However, "the facility does not lend itself to making that happen as smoothly and effectively as it could," Knowlton said.

Designing the high school

The new vision for the high school with the academy model and the design for the school go hand-in-hand.

"It's really important to get that user interface upfront because the district has an educational vision," said Greg McCracken, architect with the firm BLRB. "So we worked to create that building to match that vision."

McCracken also designed the plans in 2017. In 2022, there was a community stakeholder group to go over the design and refine it from the 2017 bond. Educators were also part of the design process to provide input to create a facility that would fit their needs, especially with the career technical and science classrooms.

The group also discussed modernizing the building and doing additions. The modernization plan kept the 1955 building and career technical building and upgraded the facility's plumbing, electrical and technology system to use as much of the facility as possible. However, that group decided that the best approach was the design for the rebuild that became the current bond.

The design also retains a lot of the assets of the facility, including the auditorium, the Adams building and the T building, which were all modernized in the 2000s. Then the new building will connect to the auditorium, Adams and T buildings, making it easier for staff to monitor inside and outside the building and create more space.

The building can also easily adapt to any changes of future educational needs. It has already adapted to a post-COVID-19 world by having spaces for in-person and virtual learning and the ability to keep students spread out.

The emphasis on career technical education has also influenced the design by having a wing for career technical education for woodworking, welding and construction shops. All that fits the district's focus on careers by providing a state-of-art facility to get hands-on experience in those fields.

McCracken said the increase in construction costs is "what's causing this number ($79 million) to be what it is." The construction market has also been more volatile because of the COVID-19 pandemic, which caused delays and labor and material shortages affecting the cost.

The materials used in the school design have to be durable materials that often cost more than those of a residential structure. However, McCracken said they were thoughtful on the materials by using ones that were both durable and cost-effective.

"(We're going to do) our due diligence to be good stewards of the dollars and make sure that we use simple and cost-effective systems where we can," he said. "We want this building to last for generations to come."

As a Clarkston resident and CHS graduate who has kids in the school district, McCracken sees the new high school as something his children will use.

"I've been an architect for over 35 years and worked for dozens and dozens of school districts; this has taken on a much different tenor because you're so personally invested," he said. "You want this to be a success for the district, the community, but you know, my kids may use this, so it has a very personal connection with me."

Not only will his children use the facility if the bond passes but the space will also be used for community events like craft fairs and performances and school-related activities like sporting events and graduations. Events that McCracken could be attending as well.

As a community member he knows what the community is looking for in a high school and sees it as a way he can invest in the community.

"We always approach our school projects (with the idea that) we really need to understand the community, because this building will reflect the values and character of the community. So it does help in that respect," McCracken said. "It still is important that I receive really good feedback from the users, the stakeholders, the district, the community, because they need to impact what the character and culture of Clarkston High School is. But it does help that I live here."

Brewster may be contacted at kbrewster@lmtribune.com or at (208) 848-2297.