Olympic Peninsula Academy is finding its temporary new home at the Sequim Boys and Girls Club while the program’s portables continue to be installed on Sequim School District grounds.

The alternative education program, for students in kindergarten through 12th grade, is using about five classrooms at the club’s facility at 400 W. Fir St. Tuesday through Thursday of this week, the program’s first week of school.

Olympic Peninsula Academy also used the Boys & Girls Club for its Otter Days event on Sept. 6.

Elementary-age students in OPA’s program are using the club’s classrooms while middle schoolers are housed in a room at the Sequim High School library; OPA’s high school students are using classrooms at Sequim High.

Six portables were purchased by the district from Central Kitsap School District in July to house OPA students as the district’s central kitchen is built and the Sequim Community School is deconstructed.

Dave Miller, the Boys & Girls Club’s unit director, said the district is leasing the classrooms at its facility for $3 a day per classroom.

Miller said the club is happy to house OPA students.

“Of course we’re going to do whatever we can,” he said. “It’s our community too; it’s our kids, too.”

Miller said OPA staff has agreed to have students out of the facility by 2:30 p.m. each day as club members arrive after the school day.

OPA board president Julie Carrizosa said there aren’t too many changes in the program’s schedule, other than students will not attend enrichment classes this week. Enrichment classes are normally held on Mondays and Wednesdays and offer topics such as the arts, drama and physical education.

Instead, Carrizosa said, Olympic Peninsula Academy will hold its state testing over the three days this week so students won’t miss class time.

“We’re anxious to get into real rooms, but as far as how everybody has worked to make everything happen, I personally am very impressed,” Carrizosa said.

“We’re going to get testing stuff out of the way so when we get into the facility we won’t have to take the time to do that,” she said.

District officials sent several emails to OPA parents and staff over the last several weeks, Carrizosa said, to update them on the status of the portables and OPA’s housing plans.

She says she does not have concerns about the academy’s classroom situation.

“I’ve been with OPA for six years,” Carrizosa said. “I’ve never seen a group of people pull together like we do, and because of that I’m not worried.

“We all just want to be there for the teachers and the kids.”

Sequim schools superintendent Gary Neal said portables are not ready to be moved into, as the district’s maintenance staff continues to work on getting the buildings up to code and regulations.

Neal said electricity is installed in the portables and maintenance staff is waiting for it to be inspected and approved by the City of Sequim. Once approved, electricity will be hooked up to power equipment and heating equipment.

This week, Neal said, locks will be installed on doors and exit signs placed. Pull-in and drop-off zones and parking areas are set to be finished at the end of the project.

Once everything is done, Neal said, the school district must have an occupancy permit approved by the City of Sequim.

A move-in date for teachers and OPA staff has not been established, Neal said, as the project continues to remain on a day-by-day basis.

For more information about Olympic Peninsula Academy or the district’s capital projects, visit sequimschools.org.

Olympic Peninsula Academy students are using the Boys and Girls Club facility during its first week of school this week as the district’s six portables to house the program are installed. Sequim Gazette file photo by Erin Hawkins