Battle Ground schools seeking input on overcrowding

Battle Ground Public Schools is seeking community input on overcrowding at its southern campuses.

The north Clark County district is asking parents, staff and the community to share their thoughts on overcrowding using an online survey that will be available through June 14. Parents and school staff can expect an email invite to join the anonymous survey, and community members can visit my.thoughtexchange.com/?lang=en#p796519445 to participate.

Battle Ground Public Schools will later this summer form a committee to consider how to address overcrowding, including possible campus boundary changes. Participants in the survey will be asked what they believe the committee should consider, and can see and rank other people’s suggestions in the forum.

“We want to be able to share our community’s input with the committee,” Superintendent Mark Ross said in a district announcement. “It’s important for the committee and district to know what is top of mind for our community when we evaluate options to address overcrowding. This process lets our stakeholders engage in a community-wide conversation from the comfort of their homes and gives us a community voice.”

As of May, according to the district, Glenwood Heights Primary School had 808 students. The school was built for 484 students. Laurin Middle School, which shares a campus with Glenwood, had 712 students. That school was built for 600 students.

The Pleasant Valley campus, which shares a primary and middle school, had 1,118 students. That campus was built for 993 students.

And enrollment isn’t expected to slow as development continues at the south end of the district, particularly surrounding the Glenwood-Laurin campus. A district-commissioned report by E.D. Hovee & Co. Economic and Development Services suggests Glenwood Heights Primary could see an additional 378 to 445 students over the next decade, while Laurin Middle is expected to add 381 to 442 students in that same period.

The district has gone out for bonds three times since 2016, and each time fell short of the 60 percent super majority required for approval. Those bonds would have replaced the southern campuses and added another primary and middle school campus.