School board

On May 23, 2018, the Board of Directors of Odessa School District #105 held a workshop in the district office at 5:30 p.m. to review the district’s Title/LAP plan, to begin budget preparations and to discuss staffing levels for the upcoming school year.

Following the workshop, the board met in the high school library for it regularly scheduled public meeting.

Present were board chair Ed Deife; board members Heather Valverde, Chris Crossley, Janie Steward and Carmen Weishaar; superintendent Dan Read; principal Jamie Nelson and business manager Juli Weishaar. Also present were athletic director Bruce Todd, teacher Danielle Vesneske, guidance counselor Kimberly Ryan, teacher Julie Wehr, alumna Meg Selbach-Allen and newspaper reporter Terrie Schmidt-Crosby.

Junior-high science teacher Julie Wehr, standing in for high-school science teacher Jeff Wehr, introduced the students taking the advanced science research class. Justin Reninger, Tori Weishaar, Kiegan Wehr, Noah Anderson and Megan Shafer each presented a one-minute overview of their advanced science research topics.

The board approved the consent agenda which included:

Minutes of the April 25, 2018 regular meeting

May bills and payroll warrants #610985-611008 and direct deposit warrants #900006196-900006258 for a total of $251,837.88; general fund A/P warrants #611009-611055 for $48,835.73; ASB Fund A/P warrants #611056-611072 for $16,891.46.

Approved the following personnel: Nicole Leach as a bus driver and a Music Department Stipend for Ellen Holman.

Accepted the resignations of Danielle Vesneske as Special Education Teacher/Coordinator and Asst. JH Girls Basketball Coach, of Don Sheldon as part-time Industrial Arts Teacher and of Amy Hunt as Pep Club advisor.

Approved travel to the FBLA National Conference in Baltimore, MD June 26-July 2, 2018.

Approved Policy #3416 Medication at School (second reading)

Approved summer camps:

• May 29 to June 12 – HS football camp in Odessa.

• June 11-15 & 18-22, JH/HS volleyball camp in Odessa

• June 16, HS VB Tournament at Pomeroy

• June 2 – Stockton Basketball Camp in Odessa

• June 13-16, HS Boys Basketball Camp in Caldwell, ID

• June 22-24, HS Boys Basketball Team Camp at EWU

• June 18-20 & 25-27, HS Girls Basketball Camp @ Odessa

Superintendent Read reported a May enrollment of 248.4 Full-time equivalent students.

Read discussed the upcoming graduation ceremony and it was agreed upon that Ed Deife and Heather Valverde would hand out diplomas to the graduating seniors.

Superintendent Read reported on the status of the district’s budgeting process. Due to all the funding changes made by the state, Read compared this budgeting cycle to building an airplane in flight. Read shared that the challenges of the local levy reduction, coupled with the elimination of the staff mix factor will make it difficult to create a budget that does not significantly reduce the district’s general fund balance over the next few years. He also said, however, that the increase in enrollment of 50 students over the past six years has helped to create a healthy fund balance that can handle future expenditures in the short term.

Nelson reported that state testing will continue through June 7. She also said that “Muffins with Moms” for the elementary students was a success with many mothers and/or grandmothers in attendance. The band did a great job of representing the community by marching in the Lilac Parade in Spokane. The FFA students attended the State FFA Conference in Pullman where eighth-grader Kaedin Schorzman placed 7th in tractor driving.

Upcoming activities will include the senior recognition walk and assembly on June 6 and the National Lead2Feed first-place award ceremony, presented for a third time to the FBLA, being held downtown on the outdoor stage on Thursday, May 31, at 12:30 p.m.

AD Bruce Todd reported the spring sports seasons ended with the HS baseball team playing at the State Regional Baseball Tournament where they lost to Pomeroy and the HS track and field team qualifying 14 members for state competition at Cheney over Memorial Day weekend.

Todd presented copies of the revised student athletic and activities code to the board. Most of the changes were housekeeping in nature and dealt with clarifying school-sponsored summer activities.

He concluded the report by going over amendments being considered by the WIAA that could affect the district.

Justin Parr was on vacation but had submitted a written report which was read by Read. Parr reported on repairs to the playground sprinklers and replacement by a contractor of two heat control valves on the HVAC system. He is compiling a list of repair projects to be done over the summer, including to the kitchen dishwasher and auxiliary heater. He has someone coming the first of June to repair the sidewalks and they would like to bid the concrete work on the track upgrades. Parr has hired a temporary grounds worker to provide help over the summer.

The transportation department has been busy with buses and vehicles going out for sports and field trips. Several buses have had repair issues over the past month. Parr will be holding a bus driver training class during the summer for new bus driver hires. He submitted a bus purchase bid for board approval later in the meeting.

Read presented the ASB balance sheet and the Financial Activity reports for the General Fund for April showing an unassigned

Carmen Weishaar presented two options for improving the track and field event sites at the athletic field. One option would be to hire a contractor to pour concrete for new pits and lanes in the open area between the football field and the tennis courts. The second option would be to seal the cracks on the old tennis courts and move the pits and lanes to that area. She had pictures of the tennis court area showing where the new track events would be located which would allow for one set of tennis courts to remain for public use. The second option would be more cost effective because the majority of the work could be done by school maintenance workers.

After discussing all the pros and cons, the board agreed to go relocate the track and field events to the old tennis court area. The board approved expenditures of up to $25,000 to complete the improvements to the track and field events on the old tennis courts and to update the baseball field dugouts.

Read presented a proposal to the board for the installation of an integrated security system. Access through the elementary and high school entrances would be by an intercom/camera system, monitored by the secretaries at their respective desks to gain access into the buildings or by a card key issued to staff members. The back door to the gym off the parking lot would also have card key access.

Following a lengthy discussion, the board authorized an expenditure up to $25,000 for the new system. The board agreed the process for issuing gym card keys to members of the community and the yearly cost would be reviewed and updated once the new system is installed.

The next regular board meeting will be held Wednesday, June 27, 2018 at 6 p.m. in the high school library. The board scheduled a workshop at 5:30 p.m. before the regular meeting.

Kimberly Ryan handed out a list of the district’s junior and senior class requirements along with columns showing the equivalent running start courses offered by Big Bend Community College, Community Colleges of Spokane and Eastern Washington University.

After researching neighboring school district’s Running Start policies, the counselor met with administration to develop a more rigorous Running Start pathway for the district. This model would be the standard for students beginning their junior year in the fall.

Read presented the district’s Title/LAP Plan for board approval, thanking Bev Scherr for all the time and effort she put into compiling the plan for the board to review. Approval by the board was unanimous.

Read presented Resolution #4-2017-2018 for board approval which allows the WIAA to control, supervise and regulate activities consistent with the rules and regulations of the WIAA.

Read presented Resolution #5-2017-2018 for board approval to cancel an ASB warrant payable to Citi Bank which was lost/destroyed at their payment facility. The board approved the motion.

Read presented the bus bid secured by Operations Manager Justin Parr. Read told the board that state bid pricing determines base bus prices and districts then have the ability to add options as desired. Following a short discussion, the board opted to purchase a 71-passenger bus with a Cummins engine.