On Wednesday morning, a large group of students, staff and community members assembled to celebrate the opening of the new Pioneer High School building.
Prineville-Crook County Chamber of Commerce Director Kim Daniels and staff hosted the event while Crook County School District Superintendent Sara Johnson cut the ribbon for the festive ceremony.
Students and staff at Pioneer Alternative High School (PHS) have a permanent location to call home for the first time in school history. The brand-new building is located next to Crook County High School (CCHS) on Lynn Boulevard and opened to students and staff on Dec. 5.
The 9,500 square foot facility offers six classrooms dedicated to core classes, Career & Technical Education, credit recovery, counseling services, a GED testing center and a kitchen. The long-term goal was to build a new campus for PHS through a future school bond measure, but funding became available sooner during COVID when Congress passed the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund (ESSER). The project's estimated total cost is $4.1 million. With the collaboration of a local contractor and the Pioneer High School work crew program, landscaping will be completed this spring.
“It’s been a win-win for the district as PHS has been sharing a campus with our newest school, Steins Pillar Elementary School,“ Johnson said. “It gives Pioneer students a better learning environment and a space they can be proud of.”
PHS first opened its doors during the 2005-2006 school year with 57 students. The 2022-23 school year enrollment is 76 students, and graduation rates have steadily increased. The PHS Class of 2021 boasted a 77% graduation rate, up from 28% in 2019. The 2022 graduation numbers, released later this month, are expected to be higher.
Pioneer High School Principal Michelle Jonas articulated the value of the new building for the Pioneer High School students. “I think that there is a space specifically designed for them, instead of just taking a spot and making it work — it was designed specifically with alternative students in mind. I think (the students) knowing that the district put that investment in them means a lot.”
Jonas added that they now have a GED testing center which has opened a lot of doors for the Pioneer students. The GED testing requires very specific requirements for their space. There is also an area for Career and Technical Education, counseling services and credit recovery. There is space for other services, such as laundry, showers and food services.
Pioneer High School credit recovery instructor, Jeremy McLean, is able to take students to the Crook County High School building to utilize the weight room with the Pioneer students. Billy Hall, manufacturing instructor and a CTE instructor at Pioneer, can also take students to the CCHS building to utilize the shop area or take CTE classes. Special education students are able to access classes and resources at CCHS as well.
“With the proximity, it just makes it easier for them to be able to access specific things that they want or they need to graduate,” concluded Jonas.
Graduation specialist, McKenzie Kudlac, also noted that the new building has brought a new sense of pride to the Pioneer students.
“They, for the first time, have their own space and feel valued, but having this space, there is such ownership in it. You can feel their pride in it — so no vandalism, no writing on desks, they are pushing in chairs and throwing garbage away; just super simple things that we have fought previously, we don’t have to fight. They are proud of it — it makes a huge difference, and they feel valued. They are earning credits more; they are coming to class, and they have the space,” Kudlac stated.
She added the students have their own cafeteria and their own lunch lady. Kudlac emphasized that the relationships that they are able to build in such a cool and honorable space is also an important part of the outcomes of the new building space.
Facilities and Safety Director for CCSD Leland Bliss was involved in the building process from the beginning of the construction.
“We learned a lot because it is so different than traditional construction,” said Bliss of the building. “It turned out really well. You cannot tell that this building is not traditional. Overall, it is a really good building.”
Johnson is excited about the new facility. The school district purchased land next to CCHS several years ago when property prices were low, which ended up being the ideal location for PHS.
“Pioneer offers an alternative option for students," she said. "It is a nontraditional, small environment where students receive more one-on-one instruction from staff. Its location next to CCHS allows for easy access to Career & Technical Education and other programs and the opportunity for better collaboration and support with CCHS.”
She went on to say, “I think it is important for us to remember that everything we do in a school district is to help kids get across the finish line, and this building and every person here is actually a tool to make that happen.”
Assistant Principal for Pioneer, Pete Goodrich, commented that the new building means a lot to the students. He indicated that the staff had an assembly recently for the Pioneer students, and he did an informal survey of the students to get their impressions of the building.
“Every student present said they either liked or very much liked the new space. I pointed out to them that they are really the only group of students in the district to get a new building since Barnes Butte Elementary, so they should feel good about that -- and I believe they do,” Goodrich added.