Kent School Board approves extra $2.5 million for Canyon Ridge renovation

A Kent School Board item to approve an additional $2.5 million to complete the renovation of Canyon Ridge Middle School, including an extra $1.5 million for the synthetic turf field, turned into a discussion about another middle school.

A Mill Creek Middle School teacher/coach, a couple of parents and the school’s athletic director wanted to know why their school always is shortchanged when the Kent School District upgrades fields.

Kyle Johannes, a Mill Creek health and fitness teacher and coach, told the board at its June 14 meeting that there’s a lack of investment at Mill Creek compared to other middle schools, especially the new Canyon Ridge.

“Mill Creek should be given the same amount of funding as Canyon Ridge before any funding is approved for a Canyon Ridge upgrade,” Johannes said prior to the board’s vote.

Johannes said the main field at Mill Creek regularly floods and makes the field unusable for PE and practices.

“Parents and cheerleaders stand in the mud for our games,” he said. “Canyon Ridge is receiving special treatment while Mill Creek is being treated as second class citizens.”

Mill Creek is at 620 Central Ave. N., next to James Street that also floods.

The school board in October 2022 approved an $8 million renovation for Canyon Ridge. The district is renovating the former Kent Phoenix Academy and Sequoia Middle School, 11100 SE 264th St., to help handle the transition this fall of sixth-grade students to middle schools from elementary schools.

District staff requested another $2.5 million in renovations from the board in May. The board delayed that vote and asked staff to show at the June 14 meeting how that $2.5 million would be spent.

Staff returned and reported that $1.5 million more is needed for the synthetic turf field due to higher costs with the water retention system; $325,000 for additional items after a property walk through by the principal core staff; $175,000 for asbestos removal; and $500,000 in contingency in case the costs go higher.

Staff already had included $4 million for the Canyon Ridge field and an eight-lane rubber track around the field as part of the initial $8 million request.

“Mill Creek has been given zero dollars for athletic field upgrades,” Johannes said in contrast to the Canyon Ridge spending. “The district already spent $2.8 million to $3.8 million each to field upgrades at Ceder Heights, Meeker and Mattson (middle schools). Mill Creek and Meridian are the only two schools without upgrades.”

Johannes also called it an injustice.

“Seventy-five percent of our students are economically disadvantaged, which is 25% higher than other Kent middle schools,” he said. “It’s not intentional but it’s a form of discrimination against our students that the highest student population of color receives nothing and other middle schools get brand new fields.”

Wade Barringer, district associate superintendent of strategic initiatives and operations, responded at the board meeting to the Mill Creek issue.

“I’ve been an employee 19 years in the Kent School District,” Barringer said. “This has been an ongoing issue through the last five principals of Mill Creek and with the city (of Kent) and the district for 15-plus years. We’ve had opportunities to work with the city and they’re frustrated as well.”

The problem is the creek, which the school’s named after, floods often. District staff doesn’t want to install a new field until the flooding issue is resolved.

City leaders had hoped to start the dredging of Mill Creek to remove sediment in 2020, but the permit process has delayed the project, according to city staff. City leaders also must figure out how to pay for the project, with estimates of more than $20 million.

“There’s not a person who will disagree with the inequities if the Mill Creek field stays the way it is,” Barringer said. “It is frustrating and very, very hard to take. …It’s not because the district and city are not trying to make this happen, we have $1.5 million in the 2016 bond for a new grass field at Mill Creek.”

Barringer, however, said it wouldn’t make sense to put in a new field at Mill Creek that would still flood in November and stay flooded until April without any changes to the flood control.

Barringer said the district is working on a plan to bus students from Mill Creek to the new synthetic turf field at Canyon Ridge for practices and games until the flooding is controlled.

“In reality, this is not the answer you want,” board member Tim Clark said to those who complained about Mill Creek Middle School not receiving funds. “We are providing an alternative. It’s not a perfect answer but it’s the best we can come up with at this point.”

The board voted 4-0 (board member Joe Bento had an excused absence) to approve the additional funds for the Canyon Ridge renovation.

Board member Leslie Hamada said in an email that she recently toured Canyon Ridge and came away impressed.

“It’ll be a beautiful new field and track with a huge area and used by other schools and our community in so many capacities,” Hamada said.

She added the building renovations are impressive as well.

“Canyon Ridge will have all new furniture, new flooring, paint, carpet and many new built-ins plus new windows and boiler and on and on,” Hamada said. “If you shut your eyes and open them you will think it is a new facility. I mentored and ran a nonprofit in the building and it is very different. The rooms are actually laid out with plenty of space.

“I’m excited to see our middle schools with now another facility.”

A look at where the new synthetic field and rubber track will be installed at Canyon Ridge Middle School. COURTESY PHOTO, Leslie Hamada

A renovated restroom at Canyon Ridge Middle School. COURTESY PHOTO, Leslie Hamada