Our requests have been shared with AAPS officials. To date, there's been no substantive response.  AAPS released a Follow Up FAQ after public outcry. It isn't good enough.  

If we go with the current plan when will the New Thurston site be finished?

Around 4 years from groundbreaking, according to the presentations and materials available. This includes landscaping and geothermal installation. 

If we go with the alternative plan when will the new building be finished?

Around 4 years, New Logan will need to be built first for staging, which would then house Thurston students while the Thurston building is built. The final landscaping design for a plan that builds new Thurston where the old building stands has not be presented yet so that has to be factored in. But the building should be ready in 4 years.

Will current Thurston students benefit from the new building if we build using the current plan?

With the projected 4 years for both the new building and the grounds, it is unlikely that anyone other than kindergartens and first graders will get to use the completed facilities.

How far will the construction site be from the learning environment if children are not staged?

The new building site is 35 feet from the old building. 75% of classrooms face the construction site so most children will be learning in very close proximity to construction noise during the building process. 

Why might staging be the best option?

Staging would improve health, safety and learning outcomes. Staging could also allow connection between plays structures and play fields, a greater preservation of Nature Center habitats, and reduction in paved surfaces. Even some relatively minor changes to the site layout could dramatically improve the outcomes with these concerns in mind.

Is staging Thurston in New Logan fair to Logan?

We definitely need to work with all schools impacted to come up with the final plan. Currently many Logan families have expressed satisfaction with their current building. They are not over capacity, and the building is in much better shape than old Thurston. 

How would busing to New Logan during the staging process impact costs?

The biggest advantage we have staging at New Logan is proximity. New Logan is 0.6 miles from Thurston. Some current Thurston families are actually closer to New Logan than Thurston. Buses could easily be rerouted for the duration of construction with minimal change and families that drive, walk, or bike would remain in the same neighborhood even with the temporary location change. 

Why should we care about the Nature Center? The current site plan has rain gardens and new trees, isn't that enough to offset the destruction of current habitats?

The Thurston Nature Center is a community gem. Generations of AAPS students, including field trips from other schools, have had the opportunity to learn in our outdoor classroom. We've had messages from Thurston Alumni currently working as scientists, telling us that their career choice was directly inspired by their learning in the Nature Center. The loss of habitat is more than a few trees and would destroy the hard work that generations of students, teachers, girl scouts, boy scouts, and neighbors have put into the site for decades. The Nature Center got its start from Dr. William Stapp, the global founder of Environmental Education. The habitats are interconnected and placed strategically to address the ecosystem needs for the wetland areas. Attempts to separate them permanently and into concrete areas, or replace portions of them elsewhere without strategic placement, will result in a diminished site for all future students and wildlife. Find out more here:

https://thurstonnaturecenter.info/

To learn more about William Stapp and his vision for environmental education:

 https://www.pointsoflight.org/awards/dr-william-stapp/