Dr. Pitts to retire; levy amounts to stay at 2012 levels

The Odessa School Board met January 23 in the high school library. The resignation of Odessa High School English teacher Dr. Duane Pitts was accepted, as he has declared his intention to retire at the end of the academic year after 42 years in education. He has already met with students to announce his retirement.

Superintendent Suellen White’s report included distribution of an informational brochure about the special levy election in February. The brochure details how the levy funds are used.

Regarding the TPEP (teacher/principal evaluation program), White said principal Ken Schutz has given her his self-evaluation and she is now working on her first draft or “cold evaluation” from which a goal will be drafted and put in writing.

Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) is a program for which data is now available to show its effectiveness, White said. The process of targeting each student whose grades or behavior falls below the norm has resulted in having only two students in 6-12th grades with grade point averages for the semester below 2.0. Schutz interjected that he will soon have discipline data also showing a marked decrease in discipline referrals.

Personnel

White presented the Athletic Director (AD) job description prepared by current acting AD Mike Perry, who is also the superintendent at Harrington. The position will open soon.

White presented a timeline for replacing Dr. Pitts. By next week a brochure will be ready to send to career offices to start the recruitment effort. Once an acceptable pool of candidates is formed, screening will begin. Pitts has indicated his willingness to help with the process.

Principal’s report

In his principal’s report Schutz informed the board that the teachers involved in the TPEP process will attend the next board meeting to describe how the process is going from their perspective.

The Parent/Teacher Organization (PTO) is sponsoring a trip to the Mobius Science Center in Spokane for K-6 grade students. A presentation for 7-12 students by the Mobius Center will be held in Odessa as part of a pilot project sponsored by the J.R. Love Co.

Schutz reported on current school activities, including play practice, FFA competitions, winter sports and the FBLA community service project to take place at Ag Expo. Both FFA and FBLA students will be attending the Ag Expo in Spokane on Thursday, February 7.

Facilities

Head custodian Justin Parr prepared a written facilities report read by White. There is still a leak in the computer lab. Most leaks had been fixed but he was not able to diagnose the origin of the final leak. Board member Marc Horak asked if it were possible to build a sloped roof over the problem area. Schutz responded that he and Parr would take pictures and evaluate a course of action.

A technician from Schneider Energy came to help determine why uneven heating and cooling were present in different areas of the school. A stuck valve was discovered which was causing overheating in one space, then causing more cold air to be delivered to all areas in the zone. Parr was shown how to diagnose this type of problem with the control software.

The ag shop has been having serious issues with its mechanical heating/cooling system. Parr is working to provide as much comfort as possible.

The vendor for the exterior coating on the school building will visit when the weather warms to show how to repair the coating material when damaged, as it was during snow plowing.

Several sprinkler heads, some dating back to original construction, will need replacing.

Finance

Enrollment stayed the same in January as it was in December, 7.5 students above the budgeted enrollment number. The district ended December with $592,096 in reserve in the general fund.

Art

Frances Weishaar and her daughter Terri Weishaar have donated a kiln to the art program. The board accepted the donation with thanks. Art teacher Maria Schuh had requested a kiln for the art program which was expanded this year to include high school. The Weishaars had the kiln inspected, and any necessary repairs were made before it was donated to the school. It will be installed in the store room across from the art room, where electrical wiring is available, and ventilation is provided. Some fire protection measures will be needed for the shelving and supplies stored in the room.

Scheduling

The board approved using the February 28 no-school day as make-up for the snow day missed in January. Finding enough days to make up for the student-led conference days has proven difficult due to the many activities already scheduled.

The FBLA state conference has been changed from the first week in April in Yakima to the third week in April in Spokane. Unfortunately, that was when student-led conferences were scheduled. A staff calendar meeting will be held next week to decide the best days for the student-led conferences so the dates will be on the agenda for board approval.

White read a proclamation from Governor Gregoire declaring January Board Recognition Month. Each board member was presented a certificate signed by the governor, the director of the Washington School Directors Association and Superintendent White. White also provided homemade doughnuts as a thank you to the board for their hard work.

The next board meeting will be February 27, with a board workshop at 6:30 and the regular meeting to start at 7 p.m. in the high school library.