REPORTER CENTRAL KITSAP
IN THIS EDITION Veterans Life and the Fall Home Guide
Veterans Life The Voice for Kitsap’s Veteran s and their Families
HOME happen Haplifepy s birthday, Navy is where
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2014 | Vol. 29, No. 51 | WWW.CENTRALKITSAPREPORTER.COM | 50¢
IN THE REPORTER
Published monthly by Sound
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The option of using a middle school model of education to help smooth the transition from elementary school to high school will be explored by the Central Kitsap School District in December and March. If adopted, the middle school model — sort of a half-elementary and halfhigh school type of experience — would replace the junior high school system currently in place. Once a decision is made on the model, the board will also look at the possibility of shifting sixth-grade students from elementary school to the middle school or junior high system. But for the time being, students will see no changes. “The school board is in an information-gathering stage right now,” said David Beil, Director of Community Relations at Central Kitsap School SEE SIXTH-GRADERS, A10
SEE MCCLEARY, A10
CK Schools changing the menu Lunch changes are part of ongoing effort to improve nutrition BY RICHARD D. OXLEY ROXLEY@CENTRALKITSAPREPORTER.COM
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OF THE NOR TH
It wasn’t just about the headlines that Washington education has been making with the courts, it was also an honest, frank discussion about the state of Kitsap’s schools, and the battle to fund them. A crowd of nearly 50 people gathered at the Bremerton High School performance center on Sept. 17 to hear an overview of Washington Supreme Court developments — particularly the McCleary decision — which affects funding for all state K-12 public schools. The event, hosted by the Kitsap League of Women Voters featured Tom Ahearne with the law firm Foster Pepper. Ahearne was lead counsel in the case against the state. It was also an opportunity to hear from Kitsap’s five school district superintendents and discuss the challenges each district faces. “This is the good, the bad and the ugly about this process,” said Dr. Aaron Leavell, superintendent of the Bremerton School District. “In Bremerton, we saw an increase of $45 per student heading into this school year,” Leavell said as an example. “It’s a total of $225,000. It is wonderful and we appreciate it, but it’s not enough to cover the material costs that we are going to be faced with.” “When the state gave us a little more money, the bad news was that pension and benefits also increased so it was kind of a wash,” he said. Funding compounds other challenges, such as meeting reduced class size standards. “Heading into next year, if we fully carry out what the class size reduction is, we will be short nine classrooms in Bremerton alone,” Leavell said. “So that is a problem.” Bremerton’s funding woes were echoed down the panel of Kitsap superintendents which included Bainbridge Island’s Faith Chapel, South Kitsap’s Dr. Michelle Reid, Central Kitsap’s David McVicker, and North Kitsap’s Patty Page. “We don’t qualify for funding for full-day kindergarten,” Chapel said of the Bainbridge Island School District. “Full day kindergarten is
Students at John D. “Bud” Hawk Elementary at Jackson Park reach for fruits, vegetables and juice at the salad bar during lunch time.
OPINION Washington State will lead on gun control
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ROXLEY@CENTRALKITSAPREPORTER.COM
Richard D. Oxley/Staff photo
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KitsapVeteransLife.com
BY RICHARD D. OXLEY
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ENVIRONMENT DNR will take out toxic pilings here in Kitsap
Publishing Co. | Updated regularly online on
Kitsap schools pore over the McCleary case
IN THE YARD: PSNS & IMF gets top safety recognition
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A salute to the world’s greatest naval force ❚ pages 6-7
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A SUP PLE
BUSINESS Design firm is back downtown
October 2014
Central Kitsap schools have taken a bite into the new school year, and with it comes a few changes. Particularly to school meals. “It’s delicious,” said 9-year-old Sandra, of her lunch at John D. “Bud” Hawk Elementary at Jackson Park. Sandra, a fourth grader, munched through a chicken burger during lunch on Sept. 23. She liked the option, but accented it with ketchup. The barbecue sandwich is Sandra’s favorite food served in the lunchroom, though. After picking up her burger from the lunchroom window, Sandra migrated over to the salad bar, filled with juice, milk, fruits and vegetables. Sandra knows what she likes to pick out there. “Usually the fruit, any kind I like,” she said. Sandra leaves the vegetables alone, though, she notes with a disapproving frown.
Hawk Elementary is like other schools throughout the nation that have implemented new United States Department of Agriculture guidelines for school meals, ever since the passing of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010. The act was championed by First Lady Michelle Obama, and aims to improve the nutritional standards of young students’ meals and fight health concerns for youth such as obesity. Salt, sugar, fats and other unhealthy ingredients have been lowered. Other items, such as fruits, vegetables, protein, and whole grains have been given priority. “We are in the third year of implementing those guidelines,” said Sam Blazer, food service director for the Central Kitsap School District. “Each year there has been progressively more things that we have to comply with.” “These are really the big changes,” he said. “We’ve always offered a wide variety of fruits and vegetables. What’s different now is the portion sizes for fruits and vegetables have increased. Students are now required to have a half-a-cup of fruits or vegetables in order for us to count the meal for reimbursement and to meet the guidelines.” When a school such as Hawk Elementary serves a meal that meets SEE SCHOOL LUNCH, A10
Sixth-graders will stay put for this year
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