School board preps for a big year ahead

By Jamie J Brown

The Wahkiakum School District Board of Education held their monthly meeting Tuesday, August 20 which provided highlights from summer projects and a positive look into the new school year that begins next week.

Ken Johnson, a representative from WS Communications, gave a quick public comment on the opportunity to partner with the district on providing fiber optic service and a public Wi-Fi system as they look to expand their service offerings. The expansion of the service comes at no cost to the district and will even compensate some for the underground road expansion to create a “survival ring,” of service as it hopes to widen its coverage area. They intend to target work to be done on Fridays and the time frame will be September through December intermittently as they work through the installation process.

The consent agenda approved the vouchers/payroll and minutes from the July workshop, budget hearing and board meeting. In addition, it included the approval of supplemental contracts, Kami Gray as the new middle school assistant volleyball coach, and approval of the Recreation Conservation Office (RCO) grant submission.

Old businesses shared updates on hot ticket items the district has been addressing through the summer. The high school will be updating the Intek heating system. This comes at a cost of $82,000 to the district, which is less than the $100,000 quote, but a bit more than the $78,000 bid. The system is on order and work should begin around September 9th to replace the heating unit above the high school gym.

A major issue the school has been rectifying is the discovery of lead in the water. After multiple meetings with the local and state health department, the troublesome areas have now been covered and are inaccessible. The district is working on a grant to secure the funds to repair and replace the pipes. The high school is in the worst shape, but soon a plan will be shared with the public on the remediation and long-term plans of fixing the problem. “Kids are the #1 priority and their safety,” noted Superintendent Palmer as he shared that the previous lead test results have been ok despite the finding of lead in some pipes early in the year. Funding to fix capital construction issues comes through grants which are at the top of Palmer’s task list.

In new business, the possibility of community enhancement and outreach was noted as a pertinent part of the RCO grant which will fund the track lighting and resurfacing. Provided by the Washington State Recreation and Conservation office, the expansion of community access to facilities makes the approval of this $1.2 million grant more appealing to the selection committee. Currently the application has been approved to submit and the district should know quickly if they are approved.

The school district had a shift in personnel from custodial to paraprofessional which opens a pivotal spot for the district with school starting next week. The position has been posted and advertised. In the meantime, it is all hands-on deck to get the school in tip top shape for students who come next week. If you are interested in the custodial position, please contact the district office as soon as possible.

Kyle Hurley, the district Career and Technical Education (CTE) director, gave a quick update on the expansion of CTE courses in the district. Framework has been approved to add music, business communications, computer science, health and two middle school CTE courses to the schedule. The expanded courseload provides an opportunity for additional certification for students in babysitting, CPR/First Aid and equipment operating. A lot of magnificent work is happening in the CTE department with work on an outdoor grant from Pacific Education Institute to assist in building a 1.5-mile hiking trail on the school farm forest with expanded learning opportunities. They also were awarded $80,000 in FFA grants to help fund a mower and excavator in which students will get experience and certification opportunities with. An additional $40,000 grant is in the works to build a pole building to store equipment.

The business report shared good news with a preliminary end of year fiscal update at being at 97% of the budget. Approximately $245,000 is left out of the $8.3 million budget. Expenditures included $175,569.12 in the general fund, leaving $1,274,600.56 in the general fund balance. Other expenditures include $10,866.94 in the general fund #2 CTE, $2,585.00 in the ASB and $426,101.32 on payroll. Fund balances for ASB are $213,340.42, Capital Projects $107,002.61 and Transportation $145,000.52.

Principal Reese shared the great collaboration efforts being made by the community to accommodate the four-day school week. One such effort is the creation of “Kids Connection,” a two-hour program for younger students that has limited spots. Funding may also be available for childcare assistance based on income. There are new state rules that regulate home childcare which makes it easier to provide solutions for Friday care.

The elementary is doing a kindergarten interview and assessment session with parents and students this week to gear up for class placement. There are twenty-one kindergarteners enrolled now. Also noted was that the sixth graders have their orientation this Thursday afternoon, followed by a BBQ in the evening. Forty-two sixth graders are enrolled. The elementary teachers are working to get classrooms ready for the back-to-school event to be held Monday from 1:30-3:00 p.m.

The new playground equipment has been a joy for many kids through the summer and the new kindergarteners are evaluating it as they come in for their meetings. A quick reminder that the equipment is designed for children and not pets. It is much appreciated to clean up after pets as well since our little ones will be using the playground regularly in just a few short days.

Lastly, the ASB fees for athletics will be raised this year to meet the growing costs of umpires and athletics to off set fees. The ASB card will now be $25 and the pay to play is now $40. Both fees went up $10 to offset fees that have not been adjusted over time. Students that want access to state covered fees in the high school can contact the school for more information.

The ASB officers recently held their retreat and set a theme for the year: “success is not an action, but a habit. Build that habit.” The 9-12 orientation is also on Thursday at 9 a.m. with a BBQ following at 11:30 a.m. Bell Studios will be in attendance and Chromebooks will be distributed.

The meeting closed with Superintendent Palmers report which updated meeting dates for September 24 and December 10. The next regular board meeting will be Tuesday, September 24.