Civil Municipal Magazine - Nov 2023

243 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 4, ISSUE 11 THE WEST OT TAWA SCHOOL DISTRICT Further elaborating, he states, “We’re also in the construction phase for a new elementary school on the east side of our district where the population is growing. That’s going to be called Riley Farms Elementary School and will open in the fall of 2025. So, those are big projects. We’re going to the voters in November with a request for a new bond that will generate a couple hundred million dollars, primarily for building improvements, facility needs, technology, safety, and security, and replacing one of our existing pools that is outdated and can no longer be repaired. So, we have that on the horizon.” Keeping schools safe When it comes to school safety and security, Bearden says that the district partners closely with the Ottawa County Sheriff’s Department and has two of its own full-time school resource officers who rotate among different school buildings. “We just recently hired a district-wide director of safety and security, which is a new position for us,” he adds. “We hired a gentleman who had retired from the Holland Police Force A broad variety of in-school offerings In addition to a solid academic curriculum throughout – everything from its early STEM training in its elementary schools to International Baccalaureate (IB) and Advanced Placement (AP) programs in high school, the district offers 47 different visual, performing, and applied arts programs, and more than 120 athletic programs and clubs. “We have something for everyone,” Bearden states. “And if we have a population of kids who want to explore something that we don’t have, we try to find a way to offer that. We’re constantly looking to give kids an opportunity. “A great example is our Esports program that we’re trying to get off the ground. (Esports, short for electronic sports, often takes the form of organized, multiplayer video game competitions, individually or as teams.) Esports is a growing area, particularly at the middle school level. So, we’ve invested in some gaming computers and software to give kids an opportunity to participate in Esports. There are scholarship opportunities now at the collegiate level where kids can make a career out of gaming. So, we’re looking for ways to help kids find their passion and then pursue it.” Ongoing construction projects Naturally, every thriving school district must also have a robust construction and maintenance agenda. West Ottawa is just now finishing up projects from funds it received via a 2019 bond issue. “We’re in the final stages of construction on a performing arts center at our high school campus,” Bearden reports. “It will be a beautiful, state-of-the-art center that will seat about 1,100 people. We completed construction on what I think is the premier athletic stadium in the state of Michigan. It opened last fall for lacrosse, soccer, and football. It has a new digital scoreboard and it’s a great place for the community to gather.”