Everett classes won't use Camp Silverton this year

For decades, many students in the Everett School District got their first extensive taste of the outdoors at the district's Silverton camp.

But the district says a review of its science curriculum and restoration needs at the site leave Silverton's future in question.

The Silverton camp near Verlot will not be used this year, school officials say. It has educational classrooms, cabins with bunk beds and a mess hall that's been used annually by schoolchildren.

The 32-acre property, located in a densely forested part of the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest and leased from the U.S. Forest Service, is in need of upgrades to make many of the school-district-owned buildings larger or handicapped-accessible.

The district also wants to rework how the site is used as part of the science curriculum. Most recently, the site has been used by fifth-grade students, accommodating about 40 to 60 for a couple of weeks at a time.

Curriculum Director Terry Edwards says the district wants to make environmental education more than just a two-week chapter in the science program, and it wants to think about using its other outdoor camp — the 40-acre Lively Environmental Center in Mill Creek — more often.

"Too often (visits to Silverton) have been a separate program where we've done two weeks out there or taken a field trip," Edwards said. "We want this to be integrated more into the science program."

Expanding sites' uses

Edwards said the hope is to use both sites throughout the year for various science programs, not just environmental science. Students might learn about a topic at one of the camps and then continue discussing it in the classroom. Curriculum proposals are expected to be made to the school board next spring — in time for the 2004-05 school year.

But whether Silverton will be reopened then is in question, said Gary Jefferis, the district's director of maintenance and operations.

"We've temporarily mothballed the site," Jefferis said. "As we're looking at money in the district, we're taking a step back and evaluating what we're going to do."

Operating costs

Jefferis said it costs about $100,000 annually just to keep Silverton open, depending on how much snow there is and how much trail work is needed. The Mill Creek site, however, costs less than $20,000 annually to operate.

Many of Silverton's buildings, constructed by the school district, need repairs. Most are not handicapped-accessible, Jefferis said.

"We're not tearing the camp apart at all, but it depends on how long it takes them to get the program together," Jefferis said, explaining that the closure could last more than a year.

Edwards said it would be impossible to have a major building plan before next fall. The work likely won't be discussed until a new science curriculum is approved by the board, he said.

"From there, we'll talk about facility upgrades," he said. "But then we need a budget to make this a reality."

Edwards said it was unclear how expensive upgrades would be or where the money would be found. If the work is approved, the school district likely will hire a consultant to review the site and determine what improvements should be made.

Then the school district would have a better idea of costs.

Christopher Schwarzen: 425-783-0577 or cschwarzen@seattletimes.com