Mission

Elk Plain School of Choice is a community of learners, working together to improve student achievement through the arts and sciences.

Raising Expectations and Standards

At Elk Plain School of Choice, we work hard to create a culture of reading. As a result, almost all of our students read at or above grade level. Two activities demonstrate our commitment to reading. In addition to whole-class reading instruction, we place students in small groups for at least 30 minutes four days a week. Certificated teachers lead the small groups, providing individualized reading instruction. We also have a program called "Read and Lead." This is a 10-week, at-home reading program in which students spend 200 minutes a week reading to themselves and to others.

What Makes Us Special

We are a K-6 school with students coming from throughout the district. Our kindergarten program is a full-day tuition based program. Students in all grades receive integrated instruction. Elk Plain School of Choice students also enjoy 45 minutes a day of specialist time including dance, theatre, music, science, visual arts, and technology.

Community Connections

Our extra-curricular activities include several scout troops that meet weekly in our building, along with Accelerated Reader Club, Drama/Video Club, Art Around the World, PTA groups and Dance Ensemble. We also have a science club that meets for several weeks during the winter and a photography club that meets for several weeks in the spring.

Parent and Community Involvement in Learning

Our volunteers logged an impressive 12,000 hours in 2006-2007. Volunteers include parents, grandparents, friends and neighbors.

They help teachers in the classroom, assist in the library, help with gardening and landscaping, sew costumes, build sets, work in the kitchen, provide refreshments and meals for staff, pop popcorn, work in the student store, coach sports teams, facilitate scout meetings, and chaperone field trips.

Outstanding Students

More than 80 percent of our fourth, fifth and sixth graders met standard on the reading WASL!

Top-notch staff

Elk Plain School of Choice has about 27 classroom teachers. They average 10 years of teaching experience and 81 percent have a master's degree. They are joined by a wonderful support staff who have students best interest in mind in all that they do.

Adequate Yearly Progress

Elk Plain School of Choice met adequate yearly progress (AYP), as defined by the No Child Left Behind Act. AYP is determined primarily by year-to-year student achievement on the Washington Assessment of Student Learning (WASL) in reading and mathematics.

Each year individual schools and the school district must "raise the bar" in gradual increments so that by 2014, 100 percent of students achieve proficiency in each subject area. Elk Plain School of Choice met the benchmarks in each category for all student sub-groups. We believe in the potential of each and every child and will do all we can to help students succeed.

Bethel School District

Bethel School District serves about 17,500 students in 17 elementary schools, five junior highs (with another opening its doors in 2010), three comprehensive high schools, one alternative junior high/high school, and an online academy. The district has won national awards in technology and communications, as well as state awards in professional development, energy conservation, and the arts. In addition, five district teachers have earned "Washington State teacher of the Year" in the last 25 years - more than any district in the state.

The Bethel School District covers 202-square miles in south Pierce County. The area is one of the fastest growing in the Puget Sound region. In 2006, district voters passed both a four-year levy for operations and a $175 million bond to build new schools. As part of the first phase of the bond, two elementary schools and one junior high (temporarily housing Spanaway Lake High School) were opened in September 2009.

In 2007-2008, the district's budget was $158 million, about 80 percent of which went to salaries and benefits. About 1,050 certificated staff and about 1,000 classified (support) staff work for the district. Tom Seigel joined the district in 2001 as superintendent. He previously worked in Boulder, CO as a superintendent. Prior to his work in public education, Seigel served in the U.S. Navy for 25 years, completing his military career as a Commander.