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Levy Spotlight: HSD Tech Replacement Cycle

This summer, Hockinson School District is in the process of replacing several outdated classroom technology devices including Chromebooks and desktop computers, document cameras, and projectors at Hockinson Heights Elementary School. Unlike many other districts that rely on a separate Tech Levy, HSD has managed to make this significant upgrade in classroom technology using existing Educational Programs & Operations (EP&O) Levy funds.

In 2021-22, HSD launched a 6-year replacement cycle to prepare for tech device replacement. The first phase of the cycle took place at Hockinson High School. Beginning last year, the technology refresh focus shifted to Hockinson Heights Elementary School (HHES). After replacing the school’s projectors last year, the district’s tech department started to replace the school’s aging classroom technology this past June.

The replacement was long overdue. Some of the school’s oldest projectors were 19 years old! While the school’s desktop computers do not come close to the 20-year mark, their age (11 years) still doubles the industry standard for tech replacement (4-6 years). Once done at HHES, the HSD tech workers will shift their focus to Hockinson Middle School next year to help ensure that all students in the district have access to up-to-date and reliable technology.

By Fall 2027, all classroom technology will be under 6 years old in the district. That is an amazing turnaround, especially when you consider that in the fall of 2019, ⅔ of student iPads were set to expire within the year and the remainder were going to age out a year later. Also, with the exception of HMS, nearly all of the HHES and HHS classroom technology devices were over a decade old.​

It was a big task to get the district back on track, and an even greater feat to do so without introducing a Tech Levy. Initially, the funding solution came from a surprising source: During the pandemic in 2020-22, the HSD diverted funds that would have normally been spent on building operations to instructional technology. The HSD also reached out for help. Parents Working Together (PWT) purchased Chromebooks for 5th grade students and the district applied and was selected for a $640,000 technology grant from OSPI. State relief dollars enabled the district to put the finishing touches on its 6-year replacement plan.

"Over the past three years, we’ve put an unwavering focus on providing our students with the necessary tools for their education. At the same time, we have an equally strong commitment to being frugal and not burdening our taxpayers. To pull this off, we’ve had to be pretty creative and disciplined. Some difficult choices have been made,” said Steve Marshall, Superintendent of Hockinson School District. “I’m really pleased with where we are now. Every classroom has current, capable instructional technology that prepares our kids for the future.”

That commitment and creativity continues today. This summer, HSD Tech employees took on the task of updating outdated cabling with new HDMI cabling in HHES walls and crawl spaces, saving over $20,000 in installation costs.

All of the planning and economizing has a big payoff: When HHES students and staff return to their classrooms later this month, they will have access to modern tech tools that support both instruction and learning.

On July 13, the Hockinson Blueberry Festival drew hundreds of guests eager to sample fresh blueberries and products from local farmers. Maren Mayfield-Scott, a second-grade student at Hockinson Heights Elementary, won first place for her exceptional blueberry pie at the annual pie-baking contest during the event.

Community members of all ages participated in the competition. Jill Byrne won second place and Julia Kashubin won third place in the contest. Pies were judged based on taste, form and presentation.

"These are some of the best bakers we’ve had in the five years that this festival has been going on," said Steve Marshall, Superintendent of Hockinson School District. "I was very proud to see a second-grade student from our elementary school win first place in the all-ages contest. This moment is one that I’m sure Maren will remember for a very long time."

Attendees had the opportunity to meet and interact with dozens of local farmers at the Hockinson Community Center. Majestic Farms, a 13-acre self-pick blueberry farm, donated blueberries for the pie-baking contest participants.

The festival also included a pie-eating contest, accompanied by jazz music performed by students from Hockinson High School. 

The Hockinson Blueberry Festival has been presented by the Hockinson Main Street Team and Hockinson School District for the last five years.

Renae Skar, fourth grade teacher at Hockinson Heights Elementary School (HHES), is one of four state finalists for the 2024 Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST.) The PAEMST is the highest recognition for kindergarten through 12th-grade mathematics or science teachers in the United States. 

Skar began teaching in Washington in 2005. She has taught kindergarten through fifth grade classes throughout her 19-year career in education. Skar has taught at HHES for seven years. She holds a Master of Arts in Education and a National Board Certificate as an early childhood generalist.  

“Renae Skar is deserving of recognition for her superior work ethic, ability to design rigorous, engaging lessons, and her ability to inspire her students to think of themselves as student scientists who are fully capable of addressing real-world issues and making a positive mark in the world,” said Meredith Gannon, Principal at Hockinson Heights Elementary School. 

“All my science units begin with a real-world problem or project,” said Skar. She is celebrated by colleagues, students, and school leadership alike for her hands-on, relevant approach to classroom teaching. “My students love anything hands-on but if I had to choose one concept that has a lasting and meaningful impact on students, it’s our salmon unit. Students love learning about and raising salmon. We learn about salmon throughout the year, which culminates in releasing the salmon we raise into their natural habitat. Having such a meaningful, real-world experience is memorable and demonstrates how actions can make a difference.” 

Skar attended a Project Based Learning (PBL) training series through ESD 112 that had a great influence on her instructional approach. “That not only gave me the tools and motivation to change my teaching but allowed me to meet a network of like-minded PBL educators who I still stay in contact with today. Without support from administrators and mentors, I would not be able to take the risks and learn from the experiences in the classroom,” said Skar. 

State finalists now advance to the national level for the PAEMST. Kim Newton (Spokane Public Schools), Jenna Samora (Bellingham Public Schools), and Jennie Warmouth (Edmonds School District) also represent the state of Washington at the national award level. National award recipients are typically announced by the President of the United States within a year of the state selection. 

National winners receive a citation signed by the President of the United States, a paid trip for two to attend recognition and professional development events in Washington, D.C., and a $10,000 award from the National Science Foundation.