Deer Park High School

Staff and students enjoyed the Clayton Brickyard Days parade! It was a beautiful day to join our community! Many thanks to all who joined and cheered for the schools. We appreciate your support! Our Schools. Our Community. Our Future.

Important DPSD 2025 Back-to-School Dates!
August 27th is the first day of school for 1st - 12th graders

Deer Park staff and students enjoyed the Settler's Day parade together! Thanks to everyone who came out to celebrate Deer Park Schools with us, including the band, cheerleaders, color guard, and the football team!

Wishing our Deer Park family, friends, and community a wonderful and safe 4th of July weekend!

Congratulations to our Transportation Department for two (2) years of outstanding school bus inspection results. Many thanks to our mechanics for their great work! We appreciate you! From OSPI & Washington State Patrol: On behalf of the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction and the Washington State Patrol, we want to congratulate you, your administration, and your transportation team whose diligent and tireless efforts protect the safety of Washington’s students on our school buses. The recent Washington State Patrol annual school bus inspection illustrates your school district’s exceptional results. For the past two years, your district has met the strict inspection criteria to receive this Letter of Achievement. Your diligent efforts in providing students with safe transportation to and from school, as well as to extracurricular activities, are truly commendable.

Did you know that educators demonstrate commitment to their professional practice that supports student learning outside of the school year? Dedicated educators attended professional learning to enhance their professional practice at Whitworth University. Way to go, educators!

Deer Park School District would like to recognize and congratulate Ms. Erica Guhlke-Whitmore! Ms. Guhlke-Whitmore was nominated by her District 5 Agricultural Education Colleagues and recognized for her outstanding service to Agricultural Education. She was selected as the Washington state winner! Her nomination was forwarded to the National Association of Agricultural Educators as Washington's representative in Region 1. 2025 NAAE Outstanding Service Award The NAAE Outstanding Service Award recognizes experienced agricultural educators who have made significant contributions to agricultural education by supporting teachers and students on the local, state, region, and/or national level. These humble leaders have spent their careers energized by the responsibility of shaping the future one student at a time. Each applicant must have been a NAAE member the ten (10) previous years or continuously since the applicant began teaching. At the national level, NAAE members must at least be in their twentieth (20th) year of teaching agriculture at the time they apply to NAAE. Way to go Ms. Guhlke-Whitmore! We are proud of you and your service to others!

On Monday, June 23, 2025, the School Board reviewed the community's feedback based on the Facilities Advisory Committee's recommendations (https://www.dpsd.org/o/dpsd/page/facilities-advisory-committee). The Facilities Advisory Committee recommended that the Board consider 4 projects: Arcadia Roof Replacement, HVAC Repairs, Flooring and Site Safety (Estimated Cost $1.8M), Districtwide Safety, Security, and Communication Improvements (Estimated Cost $300K), Land Purchase and Road Development for Current and Future Needs (Estimated Cost $5M), and Replace and Relocate the 90-yr-old Transportation Center (Estimated Cost $7.5M). After reviewing the feedback from the community, the Board passed a resolution to place a short-term, four-year capital levy for $14.6M on the November 2025 ballot to address the four projects. (https://www.dpsd.org/page/levy2025. ) See the survey results and more information here: https://5il.co/3kdpv More information coming soon!

Who Oversees Financial Accountability for School Districts? 1. Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI). OSPI sets the rules for school finances. Regular financial reports from all districts. Public data on district budgets, expenditures, and funding sources. 2. Washington State Auditor’s Office (SAO) Conducts regular audits of every school district. Audits look at: How money is spent. Whether laws and rules are followed. Whether financial records are accurate. Audit results are public and posted online.

You are welcome! Facilities Advisory Committee Tuesday, June 25 6:00 pm School District Administration Office https://www.dpsd.org/o/dpsd/page/facilities-advisory-committee

DPHS served 116 students from 2nd grade to 12th grade for the annual volleyball camp. The students had a great time, and many thanks to the volleyball coaching staff!

Did you know? Per RCW 28A.150.260, in Washington State, funding per student does not directly follow each individual student to the specific school they attend because the state's K–12 funding system is based on a district-level allocation model, not a per-school or per-student voucher system. Here is more information: In Washington State, schools are primarily funded through a combination of state taxes, local property taxes, and federal funds. Here's a high-level breakdown: State Funding: The state government allocates money for education from taxes collected statewide. This funding is distributed to school districts based on various factors, including student enrollment and specific educational needs. Local Funding: Local school districts also receive money from property taxes paid by homeowners and businesses within the district boundaries. These funds are used to supplement state allocations and can vary based on local property values and tax rates. Federal Funding: Schools receive additional support from the federal government through programs like Title I (which supports schools with a high percentage of students from low-income families), special education grants, and other federal initiatives aimed at enhancing educational opportunities. Other Sources: Some schools may also receive funding through grants, donations, and specific local levies approved by voters to fund particular programs or facility improvements. To learn about DPSD's budget: https://5il.co/2vdf5 To view DPSD's financial documents and records (all public), visit: https://ospi.k12.wa.us/.../school-apportionment/safs-report Learn about WA state school funding: https://ospi.k12.wa.us/policy-funding and https://www.waschoolfunding.org/ Overall, the funding landscape ensures that resources are allocated to support educational programs, facilities, and services necessary for student learning and development across the state.

Congratulations to the DPHS class of 2025!

Summer is upon us! The last day of school is June 11th with early release as follows: Elementary + Arcadia - 10:30 a.m., Middle School - 10:25 a.m., and High School 10:10 a.m.. Offices open again on August 13th, with the first day back for students on August 27th. Kindergarten students start on September 2nd, and Home Link starts on September 8th. We hope you have a fantastic summer break, and we are all looking forward to a great 2025-26 school year!

Did you know that public school systems are held to high accountability measures to ensure transparency, responsibility, and that public funds are spent wisely? Districts are held accountable through annual public audits (State Auditor's Office), School Board oversight, state reporting requirements (OSPI), public access and transparency, and performance measures (OSPI). To learn about DPSD's budget: https://5il.co/2vdf5 To view DPSD's financial documents and records (all public), visit: https://ospi.k12.wa.us/policy-funding/school-apportionment/safs-report Learn about WA state school funding: https://ospi.k12.wa.us/policy-funding and https://www.waschoolfunding.org/

We want to hear from you! Before moving forward with the recommended capital levy, the School Board wants to hear from its families, staff, and community regarding the committee’s priority projects. The district has created a survey that allows stakeholders to provide input. Please take a few minutes to share your thoughts to help the School Board ensure that the committee’s recommendation aligns with our community’s priorities. Please take a moment to fill out our survey below. Please complete by June 20th. Survey here: https://my.thoughtexchange.com/scroll/168300841/welcome For more information, click here: https://www.dpsd.org/page/levy2025 Facilities Advisory Committee: https://www.dpsd.org/o/dpsd/page/facilities-advisory-committee The state’s school funding formula doesn't provide resources for large capital costs. While resources are provided through limited funds for general care and upkeep, districts must rely on capital levies and bonds to address larger renovations and new construction needs.