“It was like having the first day of school all over again,”said Randy Helms, deputy superintendent of the Centralia School District. Last Thursday, yellow school buses arrived at the Walter Knott Education Center transporting approximately 550 excited Oak View Elementary School students and teachers.
“It was like having the first day of school all over again,”said Randy Helms, deputy superintendent of the Centralia School District. Last Thursday, yellow school buses arrived at the Walter Knott Education Center transporting approximately 550 excited Oak View Elementary School students and teachers.
When the school bus doors opened, Oak View staff members and Centralia School District principals and staff members were on hand to welcome them and provide assistance to students finding their classrooms and teachers. A message of welcome on the marquee, banners, kazoos and balloons provided by Rock Harbor Church produced smiles and happy faces of Oak View students and staff, making all the preparations worthwhile.
Bilingual staff members were also on hand to answer questions from parents.
The Ocean View School District closed Oak View Elementary School due to environmental issues, resulting in a seven-day interruption of education for those students. This prompted Ocean View School District Officials to begin searching for a solution. Centralia School District Assistant Superintendent of Business & Administrative Services, Mark Schiel, read about the plight of the Ocean View School District and contacted District Superintendent, Dr. Diane Scheerhorn. That was the beginning of the two districts joining forces to open the doors of the Walter Knott Education Center to these students.
“It was an amazing collaborative effort by both school districts to reopen the doors of the Walter Knott Education Center after closing the site as an elementary school five years ago and repurposing it as an education center housing child care programs, state preschool programs, and the Greater Anaheim Special Local Plan Area offices,”said Dr. Scheerhorn.
Within 48 hours, Centralia School District Maintenance & Operations staff, led by Director Lance Bidnick, cleaned prepared unused classrooms and restrooms to ensure safe and sanitary facilities for students and staff including safety systems; fire alarms and extinguishers and HVAC systems. Our technology crew reset bell schedules and provided phone lines.
Food Services Director, Brendan Shields, and his staff prepared and served breakfast and lunch for all of their students. Transportation for students and staff and the delivery and setup of classroom furniture was coordinated by Ocean View School District.
“The task our employees accomplished was done in a very quick and quality manner to provide Oak View’s staff and students a site for teaching and learning,”stated Centralia Board Trustee Steve Harris.
On behalf of the Centralia School District Board of Education, administrative team and staff members, we welcome Oak View School staff and students and we are pleased to offer these classrooms as a temporary home until they are able to return to their home school. As always, Centralia School District students remain our focus and we do not anticipate any impact on our students and programs.
