La Conner Schools buildings are functioning quite nicely but there’s still room for improvement – more than $6 million worth, in fact.

That is the consensus of the school district’s annual facilities report, which administrators and board members reviewed during their monthly one-hour study session last week.

Superintendent David Cram and district maintenance specialist Toby Walls on Feb. 11 unveiled a lengthy list of campus structures and systems due for major upgrades, most focused in the more than half-century-old high school building.

Cram and Walls shared that several fire suppression, fire control and heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems, exterior windows and doors, and sections of roofing at the high school are in line for replacing or revamping. The estimated cost is about $3.5 million.

There is another $3.2 million in needed improvements for the elementary school building – primarily for HVAC, lighting and roofing needs.

Other potential projects cited in the facilities report, none of which were assigned estimated costs, include upgrades at the district office building, Braves Hub, Whittaker Field, Tim Bruce Performing Arts Center, and student and staff parking lots.

Cram and Walls acknowledged there isn’t enough money in district coffers to address all school facility needs, making necessary the prioritization of projects, pursuit of grant funding, and perhaps resumption of a prior board commitment that set aside money each year for capital improvements.

“It’s a huge dollar amount that we’re looking at,” Walls conceded. “But, fortunately, everything functions every day. Things are working.”

But the day may come when that won’t be the case. So, district officials are taking a long view when it comes to addressing facility improvements.

Cram cited as an example the high school fire safety system. He stressed that it is in fine working order but is antiquated and thus a challenge for the district to find and buy replacement parts.

Cram said all grant options will be explored, though noted the process is highly competitive.

“We’ve got to put ourselves out there and apply for grants, but I can’t tell you when we’ll get approved,” he said. “And there are only so many grants out there and a lot of them aren’t fully funded.”

Board President Susie Deyo and member John Agen, alluding to the district’s improved fiscal health, advocated for funds again being earmarked annually for capital projects, a practice that was suspended due to budget woes coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We need to start putting money toward those replacement systems,” Deyo said.

Agen said the renewed commitment would show taxpayers that the district “is trying to be diligent and save for capital projects and not just rely on levies.”

Agen emphasized that the board would prioritize substance over style when it comes to prioritizing capital projects.

“We’re not in a position financially to worry about aesthetics,” he said.

Cram suggested that the proposed district capital project allocation be revisited when the 2026-27 budget is developed.

At the outset of the rare late Wednesday afternoon meeting, Cram and La Conner Schools Director of Teaching & Learning Beth Clothier announced that Jessica Weathersby has been hired to teach third grade through the remainder of the school year to fill the vacancy created with the retirement of longtime instructor Becky Swanson.  

Bill Reynolds is a general assignment reporter for La Conner Community News.