Capital Facilities Advisory Committee Completes Mission

The Chehalis School District recently celebrated the work of its Capital Facilities Needs Advisory Committee (CFNAC) as it completed its task of updating the district’s facilities master plan.

The committee was commissioned in the fall of the 2022-2023 school year by Superintendent Dr. Christine Moloney after it had been determined that the district’s facilities master plan needed to be updated. The committee held its first meeting in January 2023 and their work concluded in October 2023. They conducted site visits of district properties to so they could create a ranking of which facilities needed the most immediate attention. In drafting the plan, committee members also considered the population projections for Chehalis, enrollment projections for the Chehalis School District, health of the economy, statutory requirements, financing methods and the financial capacity of the district and its citizens.

All committee members were either current or past parents in the Chehalis School District. They included:

  • Mike Alexander, Trust Officer, Security State Bank
  • Maria Ayers, Real Estate Associate, United Way of Lewis County Board Member
  • Vicki Daniels, Retired Educator and former CSD Board Member
  • Deirdre Dennis, Chehalis resident
  • Mark Giffey, Retired Veterinarian, Port of Chehalis Commissioner
  • Alicia Hill, Counselor, Chehalis Middle School
  • Emily Jordan, Educator, W. F. West High School
  • Fred Lofgren, President, T. J. Guyer, Inc.
  • Greg Lund, Real Estate Broker, The Industrial Commission Board Member
  • Gretchen Moore, Contract Administrator, Pacific Mobile Structures, Inc. and United Way of Lewis County Board Member
  • Larry Petersen, Retired Insurance Broker and Current CSD Board Member, The Industrial Commission Board Member
  • Colleen State, Retired Educator and Current CSD Board Member
  • Allen Unzelman, Attorney at Vander Stoep, Blinks, Jones and Unzelman and Chehalis Foundation Board Member
  • Steve Ward, Retired Vice President of Finance and Administration, Centralia College

The Chehalis School District’s Facilities Master Plan is a document that is required by School Board Policy 6900 (https://app.eduportal.com/documents/view/429811) as well as the Washington State Growth Management Act (https://www.commerce.wa.gov/about-us/rulemaking/gma-laws-rules/) and the Board of County Commissioners of Lewis County (https://lewiscountywa.gov/offices/commissioners/).

A Facilities Master Plan is a guide used to determine and prioritize long-term needs of the district in the following areas: new construction; remodel or replacement construction; program improvements; life cycle improvements; land disposition; and housing. It is the backbone for strategic capital facilities planning and is intended to help the district maintain the momentum already begun to provide educational classroom and program requirements for Chehalis students and families.

While a current Facilities Master Plan is a requirement for any school district to propose a facilities program to remodel or rebuild facilities, the Chehalis School District is not currently proposing any action. This type of work can often require passage of a bond or capital projects levy to fund projects as well. Any of these types of proposals require a resolution of the school board and the Facilities Master Plan can serve as a reference document for such a decision.

Read the Plan

Read the Facilities Master Plan here.

Committee Comments

“Being able to see the entire facility operation of the school district, from bus barns and maintenance buildings to actual classrooms in schools help paint an overall picture of the CSD operation.  Hearing from teachers and staff in those buildings, how they function, the efficiency in some cases and challenges in others places a tangible image in lieu of written reports and pictures on the condition and needs of the district.” -Steve Ward

“I think the biggest takeaway for me was that we have a lot of great things going on in this district. I could see evidence of great teaching and student work at all of our facilities regardless of how new they are. That makes me even more excited about the prospect of updates in some of our older facilities like the middle school or CTE building because it is clear that teachers and students will flourish if we can remove some key barriers.” -Emily Jordan

“The most memorable part of being on this committee was hearing and reading all of the thoughtful comments and questions asked by the members after each tour of a specific facility.” -Vicki Daniels

“I really like how the District involves community members to gather input in order to make a very informed decision on what to put before the voters.” -Gretchen Moore

CFNAC meetings - click links to see agenda slides

CFNAC members and mission