Waitsburg School Board Summary

WAITSBURG - Para professional Cathy Schirm and students gave a presentation about the morning enrichment program that began in November. Schirm said that six to eight children attend regularly and enjoy help with reading, homework and are building relationships.

Secondary Principal Report (Stephanie Wooderchak):

-Conferences at Preston Hall and WHS will be completed this month.

-National Honor Society inductions will be held March 21. New inductees are Kirsten Miller, Kailyn Lewis, Cason Nichols and Grace Coulston. Current members have been offering tutoring in a student-led program at Preston Hall.

-SBAC testing will begin April 16 for sixth grade and run through May 22 for juniors.

-WHS Knowledge Bowl left for the state competition on March 16.

-WHS received its accreditation certificate, good through 2013.

Athletic Director Report (Stephanie Wooderchak):

-Winter sports awards are complete.

-Spring sports sign ups include: seven high school softball players (traveling to Dayton), six high school baseball athletes, and one female track athlete traveling to Dayton and seven male track athletes practicing in Waitsburg and one golf athlete traveling to Dayton.

-Head Coach Troy Larsen is finalizing the spring football schedule.

-At a District 5 meeting last week it was announced that Lyle-Wishram is moving to an eight-man football team and the schedule is being reworked accordingly.

Maintenance/Transportation/Facilities Report (Colter Mohney):

-The new bus is in Pasco and will be here in a couple of weeks after cameras and the safety system are installed.

-Reported on costs to survey District properties. See story on Page 1.

-Reported to the board about the possibility of using e-rate dollars to bring light fiber into the building to add wireless internet to the athletic field which would provide hard wired capabilities in the field house and allow for it in the press box down the road. The board opted not to lock into an agreement now and consider less expensive options down the road.

-Discussed faulty fire alarm sensors and a leaking basement sink.

Elementary Principal Report (Jon Mishra):

-Kindergarten Teacher Pam Nolan-Beasley spoke on the benefits of collaboration groups, especially the most recent one on writing.

-Elementary conferences will be March 28-29.

-Mishra spoke on the united front, “All of Us Together” and that the staff has been looking at positive behavior supports and the differences between “mean vs. bullying.”

Superintendent Report (Jon Mishra):

-Five or six people have expressed interest in the music teacher position and two or three applications have been submitted. Interviews will begin following spring break.

-Board member Marilyn Johnson reported on the Small Schools Conference she attended with Mishra and said it was very beneficial.

-The WSSDA conference will be held May 10 in Walla Walla.

-The documentary film Paper Tigers will show at the Plaza Theater on March 19 and there will be a suicide prevention program on April 12.

-Mishra said donors are interested in providing Buddy Benches to foster friendship on the playground. Students will promote the program.

Old Business:

-Enrollment was down three students to a head count of 283 and FTE of 271.

-Combine Update: Nine coaching positions have been posted. The five-member interview team will consist of one administrator from both Dayton and Waitsburg, one board member from each District, and one DW advisory member.

The next advisory meeting will be March 28.

Sonya Glaus, Charlie Barron, Michele Paul, Jaimee Knudson, Sara Dimak and Duke Morrow applied to fill the open advisory committee slots. The board unanimously voted to appoint Paul (alumni member) and Barron (community member). Both were present at the meeting.

-Real Property Considerations: Discussed survey costs for District properties and appraisal report for the District House. See story on Page 1.

New Business:

-Food Services Manager Susan Wildey presented requirements for a food service program that could provide meals to all students at no cost to the student.

-Mishra gave an update on Education Support Professionals Week.

-A survey of school board members showed four top priorities. A sense of community and working within constraints and realities were close ties for top priorities with communication and the need to establish and express clear vision that is purposeful and meaningful came next in the list.

-The board engaged in significant discussion regarding the proposed Preston Hall and WHS 2018-19 class schedules. Wooderchak explained that staff has worked diligently to break the large 7th grade Preston Hall class into smaller classes and is incorporating more high school teachers in the middle school. The high school plans to move to a modified block schedule and is offering new classes such as interior design, space science and psychology. The board requested the staff to do more work on the afternoon high school schedule to make it more enticing to students who could be drawn to leave campus to attend SEATech or Running Start.

-The District office will be closed April 2-6 for spring break.

-The board approved the 2018-19 school calendar, with one snow day.

-The board approved the hire of Bill Ayotte for middle school head baseball coach and Josh Wilson as assistant high school softball coach.

Executive Session:

-The board went into executive session to discuss the sale of property and review the performance of a public employee.