The Chehalis School District Board of Directors will continue its discussion on whether to send fifth-grade students to Camp Cispus during its next board meeting.
The meeting is set for Tuesday, Nov. 18, at 6:30 p.m.
Last Monday, Nov. 10, Superintendent Rick Goble and Assistant Superintendent Trisha Smith attended a Chehalis Parent Teacher Organization meeting to hear from parents in support of the camp.
The meeting came after the district indicated it was not planning to participate this year due to financial concerns.
Campus Cispus is an area tradition, and has been for generations — despite only being offered to Chehalis School District fifth graders for the past two years.
That first year, according to Goble, was considered a “pilot” run, attended by about 30 students over a weekend.
“Last year, we were able to get grant funding to try this with our fifth graders… I’d say about 80 to 85% of our class was able to attend Cispus,” Goble told the Chronicle on Nov. 13.
Last year’s camp occurred over three days during the last week of school. Both trips were funded through grants, according to Goble.
Goble emphasized the district isn’t cancelling the program this year because it was never actually scheduled.
Carrina Stanton, the district’s public information officer, added the camp isn’t part of the district’s regular fifth-grade programming.
That said, both acknowledged its local significance.
“Some of our local school districts do have longstanding histories of sending (students) and it usually is the fifth or sixth graders, I think, that they send. But that’s not been the case in Chehalis School District,” Stanton said.
Goble said he assured the PTO during their last meeting that he values outdoor education and would have all of the classes outside if it were feasible.
“It’s not about going to Cispus or not going to Cispus, it’s about taxing our community, and I don’t mean a tax in the sense of a tax at the grocery store, but that extra stress it puts on in regards to fundraising,” Goble said.
Despite the PTO expressing interest in helping raise funds for the camp, Goble said there are other priorities facing the district, like deferred building repairs and maintenance.
“We haven’t had any curriculum adoptions for a couple years now,” Goble added. “Our technology is way outdated, and that’s for the students, their Chromebooks and things like that.”
Goble said he understands the parents’ perspective, but has to think about the entire school district — and all of the residents in the district.
“So it’s not just an isolated situation where I can just make a decision and it’s not going to have an impact on other things, so that’s why it’s so hard, because it does have far-reaching consequences,” Goble said.
Funds aren’t the only consideration. Last year, the district sent a number of staff and administrators, along with a school nurse. Transportation also had to be arranged.
“Not to mention the extra responsibilities of the people in different support roles with the planning and executing all of that too,” Goble said.
Jason Sikorski, president of the Chehalis PTO, told The Chronicle on Nov. 12 that the PTO understands the challenges facing district leadership, along with their “concerns about the long-term sustainability of funding the program through donations or PTO contributions alone.”
Despite this, Sikorski wrote the PTO “remains committed to exploring partnerships and fundraising options that could help make outdoor learning experiences possible for students in Chehalis.”
Goble reiterated he values outdoor education. He, too, went to Camp Cispus as a kid.
“It is a great program,” Goble said. “It’s just, in this time, in this moment, for our school district, it’s just not feasible at this moment.”
According to Stanton, Goble and Smith have exchanged some ideas with the PTO about how they might support outdoor education for a larger percentage of the student population, including events that could be held on campus.
“Even for parents to get more involved with, like, Scouts programs,” Goble added.
Last week, Goble and Sikorski met to discuss next steps.
On Nov. 15, they put out a joint statement.
“We met last Thursday and had a productive discussion that helped clarify the funding needs involved, as well as the expectations of everyone at the table,” the statement reads. “These conversations are still in progress, including exploration of possible grants that could reduce the financial impact on our community.”
The PTO indicated it is preparing a “unified statement” to send to the board of directors, and welcomed any comments from parents to be considered in the message.
Those comments can be sent to info@chehalispto.org.
“As we move forward, we ask everyone to remain respectful and supportive throughout the process,” the joint statement reads. “Whatever decision the Board ultimately makes, we remain committed to working together for the benefit of all Chehalis students.”
No formal decision will be made during Tuesday’s board meeting, Goble told The Chronicle.
In July, the Washington State Standard reported that funding for the state’s Outdoor Learning Grants program, established 2021, was cut from its latest budget.
That program specifically offered subsidies for outdoor education for fifth and sixth graders.
According to The Washington State Standard, an estimated 790 schools were expected to apply for the state subsidies for the 2025-26 school year.
Cispus Learning Center reportedly reduced its programming in response to the lost funding.
The 68-acre campus is located in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest.
