CRSD superintendent says no closure of Umpire campus planned

Submitted by Patrick Massey – New Director for KDQN 92.1

Officials with the Cossatot River School District are addressing concerns regarding the financial viability of the Umpire campus and, in effect, whether it will continue as a separate campus within the district.

The answer: yes it will.

During the May 19 meeting of the Cossatot River School Board, Superintendent Tyler Broyles raised concerns he’s heard regarding the future of the Umpire campus. During that meeting Broyles stated the district is committed to maintaining the campus and Umpire Schools’ long tradition within the Umpire community.

Broyles said the Umpire campus and the Cossatot River School District as a whole is facing no financial difficulties. Given the concerns he has heard from the community, Broyles said he brought the topic up for discussion on May 19 to counter any misconceptions about the future of the Umpire campus.

Broyles stressed the Umpire campus is not under any threat of closure at this time. There is a concern, he said, with declining enrollment. Between 2020 and 2021, the district saw a drop in enrollment from 121 students to 87. That decline is more than twice what the district saw in previous years.

To counter the decline, Broyles said the district is partnering with media and other entities in the community to highlight the opportunities available on the Umpire campus. The district hopes that campaign will encourage more parents to send their children to Umpire schools.

Some changes are coming to the Cossatot River School District beginning in the 2022-2023 school year. Earlier this year, the school board voted to restructure the district to house all kindergarten through second grade students to the Vandervoort campus and rename it the Cossatot River Primary School. Third through sixth graders will move to the Wickes campus which will be renamed the Cossatot River Elementary School.

Transportation will be provided to all students affected by the change. Broyles said the change was a compromise among several other options and would pave the way to more progress in the future. He said it would strengthen the district’s academics by providing more aligned curriculum and more collaboration among staff within the same grade levels.

Broyles also stated it would provide more financial stability for the district as a whole.