The 501(c)(3) status arrived in March 2023 and the Parkland Community Assn. (PCA) is now fully operational. The next meeting for the organization will be Tuesday, March 28, 6 p.m. at the Trinity Lutheran Church hall.

The Parkland Community Assn. began last May with a group that formed to Save the Historic Parkland School (1908) building from demolition. They got a stay with the help of a Landmarks Commission decision and a team that met with the President of PLU to discuss purchasing the building. The group is now working with the 29th District Legislators to get purchase funds through a line item in the Capitol Budget for Historic Preservation. The Washington Legislature has a history of supporting historic school buildings.

In addition, PCA has been raising money through a Go Fund Me site and direct contact with community members. The community of the Parkland School is much larger than the Parkland area, as its graduates live all over the world. The group has already won several grants to pursue the necessary legal procedures before a purchase and sale agreement. That purchase agreement is currently being worked out between PCA and PLU.

On March 28, PCA will meet at 6 p.m., but prior to the meeting, at 5 p.m., a subcommittee will meet to discuss having a “115th Birthday Party” for the historic school. That event will be May 20, 2023 at Keithly Middle School, 12 – 3 p.m.

If you live in Parkland and would like to participate, you are welcome to join in the process. Extra hands make the work lighter.

If you would like to make a donation to the Historic Parkland School project, use this GoFundMe.

If you would like to help advocate for the Capital Budget line item to purchase the school, PSHB1147 you can go to this site, choose Capital Budget, Meeting 3/28/23, 8am. Then the PSHB1147 will appear and you can choose to have your position noted for the legislative record or submit written testimony or testify remotely.

Marianne Lincoln, Julie Collision and Alyce Warren are going to be in the chamber, in person, to testify as a panel on behalf of the Historic Parkland School line item. For disclosure, all three are also local Realtors. Marianne for PNW Property Advisors, LLC, Alyce for Parkside Realty, and Julie for Collison Realty LLC.

Senator Conway, Representatives Morgan and Mena are all in support of the Historic Parkland School project. We are grateful for their efforts on behalf of the community.