WENATCHEE — The second of two scheduled public hearings regarding the potential closure of Columbia Elementary School is set for Thursday.
Before a final decision on the closure can happen, state law requires Washington school districts hold public hearings to gather testimony during a 90-day period. The Wenatchee School Board is about a month away from that decision, which is scheduled to happen on May 14.
About 80 people attended the first public hearing on March 21, and a little over 30 people addressed the board.
The upcoming hearing will be held in the Wenatchee High School Commons from 6 to 9 p.m., unless the last comment is made before then. Public comments will only be accepted in-person, as remote commenting is not available through Zoom.
Other hearing details include:
- Signage, banners, and/or displays are prohibited inside Wenatchee High School before, during, and after the hearing.
- Speakers must complete a public comment form prior to speaking.
- English speakers will be allowed 3 minutes of comment time.
- Spanish speakers will be allowed 7 minutes to accommodate for Spanish interpretation if necessary. The district will provide a certified Spanish interpreter.
- The hearing will end at 9:00 or when the last comment is made, whichever comes first.
- One comment per person. ‘Donating’ time to another person so they can speak longer is prohibited.
- The school board will not respond to comments or questions given during testimony.
WSD will livestream and record the hearing on the district’s YouTube channel. Public comments can be sent to the board via email at school_board@wenatcheeschools.org.
