Ferndale Schools Asks: "What Should the New FHS Look Like?"

[Ferndale, Wash.] Ferndale voters passed a school bond in February 2019. Of the $112 million total bond amount, $105 million is designated for construction of a new Ferndale High School and rehabilitation of the Performing Arts Center on the Ferndale High School campus.



Public input is an essential part of moving forward with design. According to Ferndale School District Superintendent Dr. Linda Quinn, “We want this building to be reflective of what our community wants for its high school. In addition to serving the needs of today’s students, it will be a legacy we are leaving for future generations.”



The Ferndale School District is currently in the “Pre-Design Phase” of the project and the focus is gathering as much input as possible from current users of the space, future users of the space and community members.



A Visioning Week is taking place the week of September 16th. The week begins and ends with assemblies at the two middle schools – Vista and Horizon. Ferndale High School students will attend lunchtime open houses and participate in classroom interview sessions with architects.



Superintendent Quinn explains, “Our current middle school students will be the first students in our new Ferndale High School building. We want to be sure to include their input as we move forward with design. Although our current high school students are not likely to use the new building as students, their input is essential.”



Ferndale School District certificated teaching staff, paraeducator professionals and administrative assistants will also weigh in during Visioning Week. In future weeks, the district and representatives from Dykeman Architects will meet with a wide range of staff members to gather additional detail.



In addition to Visioning Week input, the district is planning upcoming opportunities for public input, including a meeting with business leaders as well as a rally gathering before the FHS home football game on September 27th.



“We are working really hard right now to get out and meet with people. We have a Design Advisory Committee made up of community applicants. We are working to reach students and we are asking staff for very specific details regarding current and future use of space. We are out touring other schools and doing our due diligence so that we go into the design phase with clear input from our community. This is a legacy project. We want to make sure it reflects our community’s needs,” Superintendent Dr. Quinn said.



For more information on the Ferndale School District bond projects, including weekly updates, please visit www.weareferndale.org.