Gov. Jay Inslee on Monday signed into law a bill recognizing school districts that show commitment to military students and their families. House Bill 1346 creates a Purple Star designation for districts that demonstrate support for students whose lives and education are often disrupted by family deployments. Peninsula School District Superintendent Krestin Bahr and school
Editor’s note: This story deals with mental health issues, including suicide. If you or someone you know needs help, text HOME to 741741, the Crisis Text Line, or call or text 988, the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. When someone is having a heart attack, most people know to call 911 and start CPR. But what
It’s a sunny day on a country road, as an old man riding a blue scooter greets the mail carrier and invites him to dinner. Three teens appear walking down the road, and the plot twists wretchedly. Just wait ‘til the postman takes a bite of Edith’s pot roast. “The Scoot-Scoot Man,” a horror short
Peninsula School District on Friday shared details of positions eliminated or reduced because of $12 million in budget cuts for the upcoming year. The announcement revealed some teaching staff positions — including deans at some elementaries and high schools — will be among those affected, along with non-teaching support staff. In addition, the district office
The little roadside church on Crescent Valley Drive is a familiar landmark whose history dates back more than 100 years. Now it’s for sale, ready for its next chapter. Built in 1908, the church has seen two congregations come and go. During the latter portion of its life, three different owners used it as an
Peninsula School District has given layoff notices to 15 employees in non-teaching positions. The district will cut the hours of 31 more as it trims $12 million from its 2023-24 budget. The district must cut payroll because enrollment remains lower than before the pandemic: 5% lower than in 2019. Also, grants that helped schools weather
Eleven members of Gig Harbor High School’s speech and debate team qualified for the National Speech and Debate Tournament, to be held in June in Phoenix. In January, coach Chris Coovert predicted up to seven Tides debaters might make the cut, but his team greatly exceeded his expectation. The 11 Gig Harbor debaters qualified during
The Peninsula School Board on Thursday approved a plan to cut $12 million from next school year’s budget by eliminating 40 staff positions, none of them teachers. The district needs to make the cuts, Chief Financial Officer Ashley Murphy said, because of lower enrollment coupled with the end of pandemic aid. School districts around the
The $6,000 donation was one of several items deemed routine business. The gift “to pay off delinquent lunch accounts” at Peninsula High School was accepted without discussion or debate as part of the Peninsula School Board’s Feb. 9 consent agenda. The donor was none other than “Captain Seahawk,” a Gig Harbor resident who raises money
Kara Beloate, an English teacher at Peninsula High School, isn’t banning her students from using ChatGPT as part of their school work. She’s encouraging it. Released in November by OpenAI, ChatGPT is an artificial intelligence chatbot that has creating a buzz for its uncanny ability to engage in dialog and to create original written content
