Shoreline Center is drawing revenue for schools

Published 6:03 am Thursday, February 28, 2008

Free all-day kindergarten is available now at North City Elementary School, thanks to the creative efforts put towards generating revenue in the Shoreline School District.

The district this year was able to afford scholarships for students including those who qualify for federal assistance at North City to attend all-day kindergarten classes. The opportunity was made available through a program called “Dividends for Learning,” funded through revenue generated from renting out the district’s Shoreline Conference Center.

“This has really worked out well for us, and we are just thrilled,” said North City principal Angie Thompson. “There has been a real need for our students to have extended learning opportunities like this.”

North City has one of the highest populations of students on free and reduced lunch programs, and also serves a significant English Language Learners (ELL) population. The scholarships also will allow more ELL students to have more language exposure, and while North City originally offered tuition-based all-day kindergarten, the scholarships have allowed the school to almost double their enrollment in the program, Thompson added.

The Shoreline Conference Center, which includes several classrooms, conference rooms and an auditorium, was originally intended to be financially self-sustaining. But after losing money several years ago in the midst of the district’s budget crisis, Superintendent Jim Welsh assigned the project to Ledell.

Within the past two years, the number of customers the center serves increased from 100,000 to 130,000 per year, and a website was created to better market the center to the community. Revenue generated during the 2002-03 school year, which in part allowed for the scholarships at North City, were estimated at about $50,000.

“To be involved with the center is really a shot in the arm to that feeling,” Ledell said, referring to the financial gains the district has made this year.

Customers of the Shoreline Conference Center pay between $8.50 for a classroom and $190 per hour to rent the auditorium. Three out of four dollars goes to Dividends for Learning, while the last dollar goes into the district’s general fund for utility, maintenance and cleaning costs.

“This part is really a source of pride and incentive for staff,” Ledell said. “It’s nice to know where the money is going.”

Customers, Ledell added, also are less likely to try to talk down the price of rent at the center when they learn what the money goes towards.

This year, officials said they plan to continue their efforts to generate revenue from the center and to look forward to being able to offer more opportunities for students and teachers in the district.

“From my point of view, I am excited because like all the rest of the employees, families and students in the district … we have gone through enormous sacrifice to get here,” Ledell said.

For more information on the Shoreline Conference Center, go to www. shorelinecenter.com or call 206-368-4122.