| A Healthy Birch Bay Begins With You |
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Why Is a School for Birch Bay Important
"Connecting Public Schools to Community Development"
By Connie Chung
"Public schools are intimately linked with communities. They serve as centers of learning. They employ residents, and they connect neighbors with one another. As place-based institutions, they are part of a neighborhood's physical fabric, impacting local housing markets and influencing the aesthetic character of a community. Moreover, public schools have access to a myriad of local resources including funding, land, and political goodwill."
Public schools play a central role in communities and neighborhood building in so many ways (in no particular order):
1. Schools as the center of the community concept offer joint-use amenities such as: gym facilities, senior center, adult ed. facility, library, computer learning center, community meeting place, playground, field and park, and health clinic opportunities.
2. Schools benefit the whole community and the joint-use concept draws interest and support from the empty nesters, senior citizens and other residents who might not otherwise have a vested interest in a neighborhood school.
3. Community schools assist in youth development by providing a place for after school programs. Some communities also partner with schools and community development organizations to offer adult education and job training for community members.
4. Schools are often the largest institutions and employers in a neighborhood, making them an invaluable partner in economic development.
5. Public schools can play a valuable role in sustainable development and smart growth efforts. School quality can have a significant impact on a local housing market, with healthy, stable neighborhoods supported by healthy schools.
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For the complete article upon which the above is based -
click on the file at the right.
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Why a BB School |
The Birch Bay Community Plan as adopted in 2004 says,
"Due to its high volume of student generation, Birch Bay area is a likely candidate for an elementary (K-5) school site.
The Birch Bay Community is very much interested in having an elementary school located in the Birch Bay area. About one-half of the enrollment at the Blaine School District is made up of students coming form the Birch Bay area." Birch Bay Community Plan, page 14-2
Chapter 14 - Public Education of the Birch Bay Community Plan, the subarea plan of the Whatcom County Comprehensive Plan, may be found here:
http://www.co.whatcom.wa.us/pds/pdf/planning/projects/birchbay/finalplan/r-14educ.pdf
Apparently as a step towards implementation of the Birch Bay Community Plan, the Blaine School District in it's capital facilities planning has begun consideration of a Birch Bay school as found in it's 2007 Study and Survey now incorporated into the most recent proposed Whatcom County Comprehensive Plan amendment at
http://www.whatcomcounty.us/pds/2031/pdf/20091022_app_e.pdf
Appendix E, pages 125 & 127 (it's big so give it time to download).
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