Superintendent
Dear Families and Community Members,
As many of you know, the District is preparing to break ground on a new elementary school that will eventually replace both Camas and Satus. As part of this vision, which I shared with you a couple months ago, we are planning to reconfigure our elementary grade levels so that students in the same grade are served together at one school.
In recent weeks, I, along with the District’s leadership team have been analyzing when best to conduct the reconfiguration. We considered three timeline options: this coming summer (2026), summer of 2027, and the summer of 2028. After a thorough review of our construction goals and student needs, we have decided that the best path forward is to complete the reconfiguration this coming summer (2026).
Moving forward with the reconfiguration for the 2026–2027 school year is a thoughtful and strategic decision that helps keep the new school project on track while also providing immediate benefits for our students. Bringing students of the same grade levels together sooner allows teachers to collaborate more closely on age-appropriate curriculum and shared, meaningful instructional practices, while also better aligning resources and support services to meet the unique needs of each grade.
Reconfiguring this summer also allows us to vacate and demolish the Satus building sooner rather than later. Because Satus is located so close to the site of the new school, clearing it early gives construction crews the space they need to work more efficiently, helping accelerate completion of the new elementary school. This approach is also fiscally responsible, as it helps limit rising construction costs and reduces the amount of time construction crews remain on site, which helps keep the overall project cost in check.
So, starting this fall, the following elementary schools will serve the following grade levels:
- Simcoe Elementary: Preschool, Transitional Kinder, and Kindergarten
- Camas Elementary: 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Grades
- Adams Elementary: 4th and 5th Grades
As we navigate this transition our primary focus is ensuring this move is organized and supportive for every student. We will provide regular updates regarding transportation, logistics, and next steps as they become available. I am also currently finalizing principal and assistant principal assignments for the three schools and will share those decisions as soon as they are confirmed.
By continuing to partner with you and keeping our students at the center of our decisions, together we will navigate this change successfully and be ready for smooth start to the 2026-2027 school year on Tuesday, August 25, 2026.
Sincerely,
Ezequiel (Kelly) Garza
Superintendent