Wahkiakum school board report

The Wahkiakum School District Board of Education met for their monthly meeting on Tuesday, November 19th for a short, yet productive meeting. After welcoming guests and presenting the agenda, the trustees approved the consent agenda which included minutes and approval of the coaching staff of winter sports. The agenda was brief, reviewing necessary updates on grant work, maintenance, and administrative reports.

Old business began with providing the status of the Apollo fire alarm systems being installed in the high school. This was followed by a maintenance report on the grounds upkeep and monitoring the damage in the aging buildings of the school. Superintendent Ric Palmer reminded those in attendance that the system and facilities repairs can only be updated with grant funding the district is attaining through the funding pipelines but monies will not be obtained until 2025-26.

The discussion on maintenance easily transitioned to the issue of lead in the district. Palmer shared that the state determined that at this point the lead comes from the fixtures and not the piping. The plan is to replace fixtures with inexpensive plastic fixtures then retest affected areas to see if the lead issue is resolved. If it is then all fixtures will be replaced with new fixtures. The State Board of Health has been helpful and is working with the district to cover the replacement costs.

The new business the board addressed began with policy updates that the board is undergoing which are focused on the Civil Rights Review. According to the Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI, 2024), Equity and Civil Rights Policy ensures that each student has equal access to public education without discrimination.

It is the responsibility of the Boards of Education to update and adopt policies that align with state mandated reviews. Board Policy is available for public access through the school website. Policies go through a first and second reading process prior to being adopted by school districts. “These are safeguards to keep us legal and accredited,” shared Superintendent Palmer. The Board of Education had a first reading review of nine policies at the November meeting. The second reading and adoption will take place at the December meeting.

Another new business topic was the posting of Assistant Cheerleading Coach to collaborate with Coach Kaitlin Kincaid. Kincaid has expanded the program to include competing in contests starting this winter.

Principal Leitz and Principal Reese shared reports of fall activities in all buildings, acknowledging student leader work and athletic team progression. Several activities were highlighted related to the fall curriculum, including the Veterans Day program and other successes seen in the smooth transition to the four-day school week. A celebration to note is the middle school wrestling team having a local meet after an extended period of not having a team or local competition for over ten years. In addition, the transition of middle school girls’ sports from basketball completing to boys starting is taking place. An additional shout out to the boy’s football team for transitioning to an 8-man game league and making it to the State Crossover playoffs recently.

In the financial review report, school business manager, Sue Ellyson, was happy to share that with 25% of the year now passed, they have spent 26% of the budget. Superintendent Palmer is proud of being within that 1% margin, which is tricky and a good measure of business. Many pieces of grant funding take place early in the year and racking up a great deal of expense, so to stay within budget so closely this early is a good projection of the year to come.

Superintendent Palmer reported that our enrollment is at 390 students, however our budget is built on 392 students. The student FTE (instructional education full time equivalent) determines the funding for district operations on a per person basis. Wahkiakum FTE is around $10,000 a student and falling each year. In 2022-2023 funding was $17,335 based on 2021-2022 numbers (National Center for Education Statistics, 2024). “FTE ultimately determines if we cut staffing,” Palmer notes.

The search for a Superintendent of Schools was the last item of business discussed. A posting has been made on the Northwest Leadership Associates in Washington website to aggressively seek a suitable candidate to fit the needs of the district. The announcement opened November 1st and closes February 21st, 2025. The Northwest Leadership Associates assists in the search process by filtering candidates and providing a critical amount of leg work for finding candidates with the right profile and qualifications.

The next meeting of the Wahkiakum Board of Education will be held on December 10th. All meetings are open to the public and held in the Wahkiakum Auxiliary Building (Portable 225) at 5:30 pm.

Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. (n.d.). Information for families about civil rights in Washington schools. Retrieved November 26, 2024, from https://ospi.k12.wa.us/policy-funding/equity-and-civil-rights/information-families-civil-rights-washington-schools