Ground has broken on a facility to consolidate several major district services.
Top: From left, Superintendent David McVicker, school board President Bruce Richards, board Vice President Jeanie Schulze, Food Services Director Sam Blazer, Transportation Director Kattie Nepper, Capital Projects Director Robin Shoemaker. Above: The superintendent opens the groundbreaking ceremony.District leaders and school board members turned ceremonial shovelfuls of dirt Friday at the site. Crews started clearing trees from the site off Dickey Road in late fall.
When it opens this summer, the building will bring together transportation, food services and warehouse. The district’s maintenance and operations building is next door.
“I look forward to it,” said Director of Food Services Sam Blazer. “The more you can unite the departments in our district, the better.”
The work fulfills the last major project promised to the Central Kitsap community with a 2011 capital project measure. The measure also rebuilt Hawk Elementary at Jackson Park and renovated Silverdale Elementary. Safety repairs and upgrades and technology improvements were also made at all schools.
The district’s transportation, warehouse and food services buildings are currently on the campus near Central Kitsap Middle School with entrances off Frontier Place.
Staff from those buildings, as well as buses, will move in to their new facility this summer.
“It’ll be much more efficient than what we have now,” said Transportation Director Kattie Nepper.
Staff have participated in planning and looked at drawings for over a year.
“It’s great to see those plans become real,” she said. “We are so excited about this.”