Waitsburg School Board Update

Board members Ross Hamann, Russ Knopp, Marilyn Johnson, Randy Pearson and Christy House were all present.

-Approved a $500 stipend for Family, Career, and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) advisor Nancy Bickelhaupt. The club is new to WHS as of 2015.

-Approved a letter to the state stating that the school board believed superintendent Carol Clarke is qualified to lead the elementary school in its improvement efforts as part of the Priority Schools program.

-Approved an athletic combine with Dayton for high school varsity and JV baseball. The combine was approved by Dayton on Oct. 19. Practices and games will be held in Dayton with head coach Shane Loper and assistant coach Johnny Watts. The new DW team will compete in the 2B Easern Washington Athletic Conference.

-Approved a cooperative with Dayton for wrestling that will allow Dayton athletes to join with Waitsburg for practices and coaching. The athletes would still compete as Dayton Bulldogs and represent Dayton at meets. Dayton approved the cooperative at their Oct. 19 board meeting.

-Approved hiring Lynnsey Bailey as head coach and Garrett Leahy as assistant coach for middle school boys’ basketball. Approved hires of Ben Christensen as middle school football coach and Bill Ayotte as high school girls’ basketball assistant coach. Accepted resignation of Joanna Lanning as assistant high school track and field coach.

-A special meeting was called at 7:30 a.m. on Oct. 14 to discuss the maintenance needs of the softball field which the district leases from the City of Waitsburg. Members Ross Hamann (via phone), Randy Pearson, Russ Knopp, and Marilyn Johnson were present. It was moved and approved that the district will contract with Smith Brothers Landscaping to put the softball fields into proper condition, with a 50 ft. infield, as soon as possible. The district will use as much district and city labor as possible with the final expense to be no more than $7,500. Waitsburg will field its own softball team for 2016-17 and will compete as a 1B team.