Camas students protest merger

Dozens of students walked out of class Wednesday, Feb. 26 to protest the Camas School District’s plan to combine Odyssey Middle School and Discovery High School into one campus at the start of the 2025-26 school year. About 40 Odyssey and Discovery students protested on campus, holding “Save Our School” and “Save Our Teachers” signs and encouraging students and Camas community members to write to state legislators calling for higher levels of funding for Washington’s public K-12 schools. “We’ve been writing to legislators because our schools are underfunded. It’s a problem not only for our school but for school districts all over the U.S., and we’re not talking about it enough,” Odyssey eighth-grader Katya Lomvardias said. Katya, 14, and Alani Goode, also an eighth-grader at Odyssey, led students in a campaign to not only raise awareness about the school district’s financial difficulties but also protest the merger of Odyssey and Discovery, the district’s two project-based learning schools. They fear the plan will negatively impact students and teachers on the campus, where students are encouraged to tackle real-world problems. According to the district’s February enrollment update, Discovery serves 186 students and Odyssey serves 276 students. The school district purchased the former Sharp Laboratories of America building, 5125 N.W. Nan Henriksen Way, Camas, in 2016 for $12.5 million and renovated the 55,000-square-foot space to accommodate up to 400 students. In 2016, Camas School District voters approved a $119.7 million facilities bond that included $32 million to construct Discovery High School, which opened in the fall of 2019. Students involved in the protest said they fear merging the two schools may disrupt many of the creative-learning methods students have come to appreciate at the open-concept Odyssey Middle School building. “At Odyssey, we will do design or STEM challenges and just split off,” Katya said. “The school is an old office building, so it’s mostly just open space with some cubicle walls, so we’re able to spread out and use the open space.” “There is a huge worry about our community circles,” Katya said, referring to the school’s daily mindfulness activity. “They’re 10 minutes of our day, which doesn’t sound like a lot until you realize it’s life-changing and brings you closer to people.” Katya and Alani said the protests and letter-writing efforts were not meant to be a negative reflection on the Camas school board, school district leaders or Principal Daniel Huld, known to most students as “Dr. Dan,” who oversees both project-based learning schools. “The point of what we’re doing is to point out that this is a systemic failure,” Katya said. “We know it’s not (Camas schools superintendent John) Anzalone or the school board. We know it’s not their fault.” Katya said Huld has been meeting with students and giving them space to share their concerns about the future school merger. “Dr. Dan is very supportive of students sharing their voices and protesting,” Katya said. “He has been setting up student lunch meetings and panels, letting people know they can talk directly to him and ask questions. He’s really been awesome.” ‘Absolutely budget-related’ Doreen McKercher, the district’s communications director, said the plan to combine the project-based learning schools is part of the district’s efforts to cut more than $13 million from its 2025-26 budget to make up for revenue shortfalls attributed to decreased student enrollment, increased staff and supply costs, and the district’s dwindling reserves. “This is absolutely budget-related,” McKercher said. She said the district will move Odyssey Middle School students into nearby Discovery High School at the start of the 2025-26 school year to create a project-based learning school that serves students in grades six through 12. “Discovery is a school built for 600 students but is still well under that,” McKercher said. McKercher said the district is uncertain what will become of the former Sharp building that has housed Odyssey students since 2018. To prepare for the school merger, Huld has been surveying community members, staff and students to figure out the best way to handle the creation of the district’s first six through 12 school, McKercher said. District leaders are looking at Vancouver iTech Preparatory, Vancouver Public Schools’ STEM-based magnet school serving grades six through 12, for inspiration. “(Huld) is working on what the layout will look like, where the students will go,” McKercher said. “He is engaging families because we know there is nervousness about combining such an age range.” The Camas School District will provide the community with a budget status update at its virtual town hall from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Thursday, March 6. For more information, visit camas.wednet.edu/?s=budget. Kelly Moyer: 360-735-4674; kelly.moyer@columbian.com

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