NO on the ROC grant, board turns to state for funding

The Wahkiakum School District Board of Education held their regular October meeting on the 22nd. The board, school administration and a few guests were present for the meeting.

The meeting opened with public comment from cheerleading coach, Kaitlin Kincaid. She came to address the board about the exciting opportunities the cheer team has in starting competitions this winter. “The team has grown significantly over the last few years, from four to over sixteen. The squad is ready for the next level and to shine in their own world as athletes.” Competing will offer the cheer squad athletes new opportunities and to network with potential college recruiters. The only changes to the cheer program will be that the team will be going to three to five competitions. Competitions are around two to three hours, and the fee will be raised through fundraising. The team will compete in the small varsity division and work to qualify for state.

The board addressed old business, reviewing the topics of lead, leadership, and grant work. Currently the school is waiting on the lead testing results from the city. Superintendent Palmer spoke with the state and local health department about the ongoing issue being addressed. The state attested that lead is a typical problem across the state. The suggestion is to replace all fixtures where the issue is detected, as nine out of ten times that is where the problem resides. Replacing the fixtures will have to come through more grant funding, hopefully provided by the state.

The superintendent search begins with the job being advertised with Washington Association of School District Administrators (WASDA). On the day of the board meeting there were already five superintendent positions open, so the time to post and get into the early hiring pool is happening. The district collected feedback from staff and will use the same brochure they did in the last search, after a few updates. The interview process will be similar, but more community involvement will be invited.

Status on the Recreation and Conservation Office (RCO) grant to update the lighting at the track was not awarded to the school. Palmer shared, “We were ranked 6th and tagged as an alternative.” The state was asked for forty-two million dollars to start with, but only had twelve million to give. Wahkiakum is in line for the next year’s grant cycle, but there is still no guarantee. There is a possibility for funding in the Small Schools Modernization (Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction, 2024), where we are in 41st place. There is a possibility for infrastructure improvement if we are awarded funds.

In other old business, the date for the Veterans Day program was shared. The program will be held on Thursday, November 7th at 10:30. It is a student-created assembly with refreshments provided following the assembly.

An update on the Emergency Management collaboration team was shared as the school district plays a critical role, along with EMS and local services. Wahkiakum School District would be a distribution point in the event of an emergency, therefore the community is moving to be prepared. Superintendent Palmer is working on a board policy to present to the board the parameters of the role the school would play in the event of a natural disaster or national emergency.

In new business, grounds maintenance and the work Wahkiakum West is doing on site was presented. Wahkiakum West is installing a fiber optic and radio setup to provide a service loop that establishes internet to Puget Island. “This is another way to benefit the community, with no cost to the district.” High School Principal Stephanie Leitz updated the board on the October activities, making a highlight of the Health and Wellness fair that took place the 22nd. She also reported on students who would be attending the Cowlitz Career Expo at Lower Columbia College, noted the Key Club was building anticipation for the Haunted School event, and spoke about Senior night for the fall athletic program. She said the addition of the no phones”policy is going

well and teachers are seeing a more engaged classroom, while students’ grades are also better. As for the four-day week, it too has been a success and the opportunity to offer the Friday tutoring program has been an added benefit.

In the elementary and middle school level, Principal Nikki Reese shared the smooth transition the buildings have had moving into the four-day week. She shared highlights from the middle school parent night, Fire Safety event, middle school CTE field trip and work that the leadership students are doing. Lastly, she recapped the middle school volleyball and cross-country seasons.

The business manager, Sue Ellyson, gave the October Financial report. October expenditures in the general fund were $258,015.58, General Fund #2- $2482.17, MS ASB $816.15, HS ASB- $18,340.81, Payroll $424,916.53. Fund Balances are General Fund $1,593,963.11, ASB $227,766.43, Capital Projects $287,729.16 and Transportation $103,566.18. Of the expenditures, $110,000 was grant funds for cyber and the HVAC system.

Superintendent Palmer wrapped up the meeting with an update on enrollment headcount is 395 students and FTE is 391.3. He gave a food service audit and wellness policy update, which is part of compliance. Lastly, he shared that the technology department is on track with the cyber grant.