School board members shown appreciation

At the school board meeting held January 28, school superintendent Suellen White read Governor Jay Inslee's proclamation that January be School Board Recognition month. Each board member received a certificate in recognition.

Board action

The board approved the resignation of Heath Voise as assistant football coach.

The board approved required changes in policies dealing with students with disabilities; highly capable program; homeless students' rights and services; nondiscrimination; nondiscrimination and affirmative action; and sexual harassment.

Principal's report

Principal Jamie Nelson told the board about the assembly with a ventriloquist enjoyed by K-8 grades; the presentations of the science student's research to an assembly for secondary students; end of the first semester and beginning of the second semester on Thursday of this week; there will be an academic recognition assembly on January 29.

Nelson told the board we are planning an extensive emergency active shooter drill with the sheriff's department, EMTs, fire district, and Odessa police on February 25. We will have extensive communication with students, parents, and community prior to the drill. She then summarized extracurricular activities by telling the board we had the final Floch Memorial Tournament this year; Junior High boys basketball has started; the High School basketball teams are coming up on the district tournament; the cheerleaders are doing a good job; the FBLA is heading to winter conference and FFA is going to the AG Expo. The Knowledge Bowl team is doing well and she is taking a group of Junior High students to a leadership conference. The chess club meets at lunch almost every day and she had a request to start a junior high chess club.

Superintendent's report

White reported on a Rural Alliance meeting she attended where the focus was on dual credit – students earning both college and high school credits while still in high school; improvement in technology education; and ways to make sure all graduates get into college or post-high-school training. White advised the board that there was a need to begin planning for summer school now to ensure that appropriate staff can be hired for the educational part of the program. Chef Camp held last summer was big hit, with a bit of academic intervention.

She advised the board not to attend the small school conference this year, as it takes place at the same time as board members will be involved in selecting a new superintendent upon White's retirement.

Marcus Horak and Heather Valverde agreed to attend the legislative conference to be held the first weekend in March.

Facilities report

Facilities director Justin Parr reported that he had installed one of the bottle-filling drinking fountains over the holiday break and will install the second one during spring break. He also replaced two defective backboards in the gym.

He said the facilities committee had met recently to consider summer projects. White asked the board whether to authorize the school's architectural firm to investigate an idea that board chairman Ed Deife came up with to build a new gym/performing arts building and turn the undersized multipurpose room into a new Ag/STEM shop. The board approved the request.

Legislative report

White said several bills dealing with education have been introduced in the legislature, although action on them has been limited. Two bills are of particular interest. One would take away the prohibition of school retirees under the age of 65 from working in the schools. The current ruling puts limits on a highly qualified pool of teacher substitutes and talent available to help with special projects and coaching. The other deals with dual credit and would eliminate the Running Start program in the high school. So instead of allowing students to get college credit for free, it would make college in the high school a program where students have to pay for credits. The problem with the bill is that the cost to the state would be $31 million. Therefore, it is very unlikely that funding would be provided. So if the bill passed, the option to provide college credit at no cost would be lost.

Other

White showed the board a copy of the levy brochure mailed to all local postal patrons. The brochure was created by FBLA advisor Terri King and her students.

At the athletic co-op board meeting Bruce Todd, the athletic director for the co-op, recommended adding assistant coaches for junior high track and junior high baseball for safety reasons. The board approved this request.

Enrollment increased to 214 full-time equivalent students, which is 24 students above what was budgeted, a 12.6% increase. The district ended December with $550,045 in reserve. With the increased number of students, this amount will grow over the remaining months of the school year as state apportionment is adjusted to true enrollment figures beginning in January.

The next board meeting will be held February 25 in the high school library at 7 p.m.

Members of the Odessa School Board were awarded certificates of appreciation by the administration at last week's meeting: Joe Schlomer, Roland Singer, Ed Deife, Marcus Horak and Heather Valverde. --Photo for The Record by Terrie Schmidt-Crosby.