Superintendent UPDATE – February 4, 2023: QTS prepares to transfer Akalat to Quileute Nation
The Akalat over many years has served the Quileute Tribal School has a gymnasium, classroom, weight room and gathering place for many people.
In July 2000, the QTS School Board at the time asked newly hired Superintendent Mark J. Decker to start the process of providing free services in the Akalat around Quileute Culture, Elder Activities and Memorials, as well as Potlatches to Quileute families. In 2021, QTS began working closely on a handshake Memorandum of Understanding with QN and Tribal Events Coordinator Leticia Jaime to have a Tribal Events office in the Akalat with Quileute Tribal School paying for utilities, insurance, and upkeep and splitting the custodial services depending on who hosted events.
QTS in the past two and half years has put a brand new roof on the Akalat facility at about $160,000 in expenses, refinished the gym floor for the first time in approximately eleven (11) years, repaired the plumbing problems in the bathrooms, recently added new lighting to the front entrance of the Akalat and replaced the gym floor mats that protect the floor, which were dangerous to lay out . In addition, QTS has paid all utilities, insurance and cleaning supplies, as well as about one third of the custodial supplies this past school year 2022-23.
QTS School Board in January 2023 passed a public motion in a public meeting to transfer the Akalat facility from the ownership of the school to the ownership of the Quileute Nation, as well as the old QTS campus at 40 Ocean Drive. This is happening as a result of agreements prior to the development of the new facility at 12181 LaPush Road. Quileute Nation, Quileute Tribal School, the Bureau of Indian Education and their respective insurance companies are very close to completing the final transfer. QTS Superintendent Mark J. Decker is very proud of the fact that funds for the facility have been used in the past 2.5 years to hand over a maintained facility that continues to add great value to the Quileute People to further community events.
Mark James Decker / Quileute Tribal School Superintendent
July 1, 2020 – June 30, 2023.