At the Bethel School Board meeting Tuesday, Superintendent Seigel announced that the Director of the Tacoma Pierce County Health Department has contacted about the impact of sequestration cuts to the programs that funds the Bethel Family Support Center. The services they offer at the center and others in the county may have to be cut. Discussion were occurring again on Thursday at the district office.

The most notable item on the agenda, the elementary school boundaries again drew several speakers from a development in Graham known as “The Country.” The residents there want their children to continue to attend Nelson Elementary rather than be shifted to Kapowsin Elementary. Due to the late notice of this particular boundary adjustment, they felt they did not have adequate time to address the issue with the district’s Boundary Committee.

The board made a motion to table the boundary changes to an undetermined board meeting in April so those residents have a chance to meet and discuss their issues in a special meeting with the boundary committee.

At the end of the meeting under other discussion, the board discussed the aquatic center briefly. Director Rogers asked if a proposal to the YMCA to partner would be a fair proposal. The Superintendent responded that he felt the YMCA was likely to accept. Director Rogers then suggested that she would like to see the district put on paper specifically how this partnership would be done.

This line of discussion was prompted by the 723 Networking group and now the Graham Business Association coming out publicly in favor of the construction of the ‘almost proposed’ Bethel Aquatic learning and Wellness Center. There are ideas accumulated in a presentation put together by the Director of Operations Rob Van Slyke, who himself has operated several district swimming pools and aquatic centers  in the past. This week, much of that information was written into an article by The Dispatch newspaper this week. You will also find it online in a few days here http://www.dispatchnews.com/.

Business groups are supporting this aquatic center as they believe strongly it will bring increased business and interest to the area. Such attractions generally result in multiple economic improvements from visiting patrons who are likely to also stop in at other local businesses. This generates a revenue increase to those businesses, increasing their value which then offsets a portion of the tax burden on local homeowners.  A good example of this ripple effect is the benefit the district received when businesses were built in the Frederickson Industrial Park.

If you also support the aquatic center, please click on the Aquatic Super Center graphic on the right hand side of this page and sign the petition.