Capital Facilities Advisory Committee (CFAC)

What's CFAC?

The Capital Facilities Advisory Committee (CFAC) is continuing to meet regularly this school year (2023-24) and is seeking new community members to join. 

CFAC members play a key role in developing our long-term capital facilities plan and providing input on facility use to ensure the community's values and priorities are accurately represented. 

During last school year (2022-23), CFAC met regularly to analyze data and public feedback as they worked toward making a recommendation to the School Board to balance the school district's elementary school boundaries. The final recommendation was unanimously approved by the School Board on March 21, 2023. Read more about CFAC's work below.

This school year, CFAC intends to analyze future capital projects, review the importance of levies and bonds as well as discuss middle school attendance areas.

If you are interested in joining this committee, or would like to know more, please complete this form. 

CFAC's community emails during 2022-23 work

March 16, 2023, meeting

CFAC

After analyzing enrollment data, transportation information, and community feedback since beginning work in October 2022, the Capital Facilities Advisory Committee (CFAC) is making its recommendation to the Stanwood-Camano School Board to balance the uneven enrollment in our five elementary schools.

The committee — made up of a mix of community members and staff — is recommending the School Board adopt this Final Map. Only a few, small parcel-line adjustments were made from the most recent Draft Map after district staff analyzed exactly where the proposed new elementary boundaries overlapped property lines across the 103-square-mile school district.

The recommendation now goes to the Stanwood-Camano School Board, which is scheduled to discuss the proposal during its next regular meeting at 6 p.m. Tuesday, March 21.

  • Download the Final Draft map HERE

  • Download a the current 2022-23 boundary map HERE

  • Find information and forms about student transfers HERE

CFAC's Feb. 23 & 27, 2023, public forums

CFAC membership hosted several dozen community members during meetings February 23rd at Stanwood Middle School and on February 27th at Stanwood Elementary. The meetings were to discuss the changes and learn how CFAC arrived at the latest map. CFAC met with individuals, families, and groups to gather input, feedback, and comments.

CFAC's Feb. 6, 2023, meeting

CFAC membership held a meeting Monday, Feb. 6, at Port Susan Middle School to discuss the Draft 11 Map, refined with public feedback from the January community meeting.

CFAC's Jan. 18, 2023, meeting

CFAC membership hosted about 100 community members at Cedarhome Elementary for a public forum to gather feedback on proposed maps and boundary ideas. Feedback and input from the meeting will help guide the process.

CFAC's Jan. 3, 2023, meeting

CFAC membership held a meeting Tuesday, Jan. 3, at Port Susan Middle School to discuss survey responses to help refine new draft versions of boundary maps to present to the public at a future meeting.

CFAC's Dec. 12 and 14, 2022, meetings

The Capital Facilities Advisory Committee (CFAC) met Dec. 12 and 14 at Utsalady Elementary and Twin City Elementary for public forums to gather feedback on proposed maps and boundary ideas. Feedback and input from the meeting will help guide the process.

CFAC's Dec. 1, 2022, meeting

The Capital Facilities Advisory Committee (CFAC) met Thursday, Dec. 1, to examine maps, data and boundary ideas.

Feedback and input from the meeting will help guide the two upcoming community presentations where CFAC members will give an update on where the process stands.

CFAC's Nov. 21, 2022, meeting

Meeting

The Capital Facilities Advisory Committee (CFAC) met Monday, Nov. 21, to continue their work at examining elementary overcrowding, school boundaries and other growth/building issues.

CFAC members began to look at preliminary data to help define concerns and raise further questions around overcrowding and potential boundary adjustments.

After another CFAC meeting on Dec. 1, the group plans to share some initial ideas on possible solutions with the community during the following weeks through public forums and an online survey. Stay tuned for more information on those communitywide events.

No changes will take place in the current school year. CFAC plans to make recommendations to the school board on this issue in the spring.


Data & information:

The CFAC met Oct. 17 and Nov. 21, 2022, to analyze data.


Frequently asked questions from the start of the 2022-23 work

What is the CFAC?

 This school year, the community is invited to participate on the Capital Facilities Advisory Committee (CFAC), which will advise the district and the school board on key issues such as elementary overcrowding, school boundaries and other growth/building issues. The CFAC will also look at how we can best use, maintain and develop our facilities. This year, one of the top questions is how to address overcrowding at several elementary schools. In partnership with CFAC, we may be adjusting our school boundaries in the future to accommodate for forecast growth at the elementary level.

Why consider changing school enrollment boundaries?

Enrollment is increasing and some school buildings are at or near capacity. Adjusting school enrollment boundaries is designed to accommodate school-age population growth and balance school sizes.

What are the district growth projections?

The district should see enrollment growth between 2022 and 2031, according to an April 2022 study of the Stanwood-Camano community by Educational Data Solutions. The district's enrollment is estimated to grow from about 4,500 in October 2021 to somewhere between 5,400 and 6,000 students by 2030. However, some areas are likely to see higher gains than others. Read the study HERE.

Can the district build a new school?

The district owns two plots of land - one on Camano Island and one near Warm Beach - for potential future schools. However, it would require the community to pass a bond measure to fund the planning, design and construction of a new school. Such a project would also take a few years.

Can the district restructure the grade levels at each building to accommodate enrollment?

Possibly. The CFAC is tasked with looking into that as one of the possible options.

What are other districts who are in a similar situation doing or have done to address the issue?

Districts in similar situations adjust attendance boundaries to allow for maximum capacity. They then consider new school construction

Generally, how does the recent housing growth in Stanwood correlate to enrollment?

There were about 28 students for every 100 housing units in the district. This includes all housing, both new and existing.

What are the school capacities and how are those limits determined?

Capacity

Enrollment

Cedarhome

432

597

Elger Bay

413

356

Stanwood

504

453

Twin City

423

381

Utsalady

408

287

Port Susan Middle

642

516

Stanwood Middle

652

477

Stanwood High

1,505

1,293

Building capacities have been calculated using the maximum desired classroom sizes per the Stanwood-Camano Education Association Collective Bargaining Agreement. Class sizes are also reflective of size needed to support the District's educational programs and goals.

Portables are not included in the capacity calculation. The addition of portables as housing for students in over-capacity schools is a way of managing increased student counts, but should not be considered a permanent solution to District growth.

What are the life expectancies of the district's existing schools?

Generally speaking, school buildings can serve efficiently for about 50 years, if properly maintained. A major renovation project can typically add about 25 years to the life of an older building. Without a major renovation, buildings typically begin to become costly to maintain and less safe.

Is there a more efficient way to distribute kids to best use the current space?

The CFAC is tasked with looking into that as one of the possible options.