Mid-Valley School faces challenges

BIG LAKE -- Bad water combined with a lengthy selection process could result in the closure of a recently opened alternative school in the Valley.

Mid-Valley High School opened last fall in temporary quarters at the Faith Bible Fellowship Church on Hollywood Road with the intention of expanding into permanent quarters later. The school, modeled after other Mat-Su Borough School District alternative schools, provided an opportunity for dozens of students seeking a nontraditional education. Many of those students had been on a waiting list at Burchell High School after that school was forced to place a 250-student cap on enrollment.

Mid-Valley's problems began shortly after opening, when residents in the neighborhoods near the church expressed concern so many high school students in their neighborood. Borough assemblywoman Jody Simpson, who shared them with the school district.

While the district recognized the concerns of the residents, the school needs a minimum of 200 students to obtain funding to be self-sufficient and move to its own facility -- a goal they have not yet been able to reach, and may not get a chance to. Currently, approximately 85 students attend Mid-Valley High, according to Simpson.

Last week the school was hit with another blow. Apparently, according to Chief School Administrator Bob Doyle, the water at the school has failed to pass testing by the Department of Environmental Conservation, making it unsafe to consume. Students are being provided with bottled water, Doyle said at Wednesday's school board meeting, and this latest glitch may mean the school won't be able to reach for its goal of 200 students, thus it won't be eligible for its own facility.

"Based upon the unfortunate turn of events … it is very likely now that Mid-Valley won't be able to handle 200 students next year," Doyle said at the school board meeting. Doyle said there is no other existing facility for the school to be moved to -- temporary or otherwise.

Pastor Ethan Hansen of Faith Bible Fellowship said Friday the church received approval from DEC to begin drilling a new well in January, but had to wait until this week to begin. He said it is not unusual for the current well to fail a bacteria test "once in a while." Hansen expects the new well to be operational by next week, and is confident the water will no longer be an issue, although he said his congregation feels it is time for the school to move on.

The church has had a long history with the district, he said, first opening their doors to Big Lake Elementary kindergartners about six years ago when the school was overcrowded. That relationship ended when Meadow Lakes Elementary opened, he said. Then, approximately three years ago the district asked if they could start a student center at the church, with 15 students attending in the morning and 20 in the afternoon.

"We did that for a couple years and it was a good success; it was such a success they asked if we could go to 50 in the morning and 50 in the afternoon," Hansen said, referring to the opening of Mid-Valley. "We prayed, we talked among ourselves, we talked to the congregation and we said, 'no problem.'"

Simpson said residents felt there was a difference between kindergartners at the church compared to up to 200 8th- through 12th-graders, many of them driving their own cars. The church is "trying to play the middle man and offer what they have for the students," Simpson said, "it's just not an ideal location."

The church's relationship with its neighbors is very important to them, Hansen said -- one they want to maintain.

"We've always had very good relations with the neighbors and we want to keep that," Hansen said. "We've been very happy with Mid-Valley, its been a great experience -- but it's a temporary thing. It's just time for them to find their own space now."

According to Ron Swanson, community development director for the Mat-Su Borough, building a new facility simply could not be done by fall. Even if the district had a site selected, he said, borough code requires a procedural process that includes sending the project out to bid.

"We have to figure out the criteria for the school, put out an RFP (Request for Proposals) to the public, then have a committee pick from there," Swanson said.

Simpson said the borough formed a site selection committee earlier this month and is working on those criteria. A possible site has been chosen, she said, but it might also have problems. Located about a mile down Hollywood Road from the school's current location at the church, the site previously housed an animal shelter, Simpson said, and was also used as a collection point for batteries. That, combined with its location on a dangerous "S" curve, posed possible risks, Simpson said. Also, Swanson and Simpson both said, the Big Lake area is known for problems with water, meaning the Hollywood site might have the same problems as the church.

Swanson said Thursday morning was the first he had heard about the water problems at the church. He did say it was possible to move the process along faster, but only if the water issue was declared an emergency. Doyle, at Wednesday's meeting, said the borough had refused to allow a waiver on that basis.

"Borough code prohibits us from moving forward with anything right now," Swanson said. "The code is there for good reason, it prevents me or anyone else in the district from cutting a sweetheart deal with my buddy."

Finding a location for a new facility could be accomplished in the next couple months, Simpson said, but the question is what to do with the students next fall.

"There seems to be a great need for a lot of communication in a very short period of time," Simpson said.

But Doyle, on Wednesday, said finding another temporary site, investing money into it, then putting money into yet another one -- a permanent one -- does not make sense. "We need a permanent site, it makes more sense to invest in it."

The combination of circumstance appears to create a Catch-22 situation; one that both Doyle and Simpson say relies on a carefully choreographed plan to survive. The school needs to reach enrollment of 200 students to receive funding for their own facility, but the current situation with the opposition of neighbors and the water problem are making it difficult to reach that goal at its current location. The question then becomes, should the district seek out another temporary location to move the school to while increasing enrollment and selecting a permanent site? Or, should they ask the church to keep the students at the current location, hope for good water with the new well, and ask the neighboring residents to be patient?

At Wednesday's meeting, Doyle seemed doubtful about the current situation. Unless there is a concerted effort on everyone's part the school will not be able to reach the 200-student level next year, leaving its operation in question.

"We need to all be on the same sheet of music," Doyle said.

Simpson agreed. "The students deserve a good place to go to school, and we want the same thing, … again, communication, I can't stress that enough," she said.