The Times - Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley

DAYTON – The Dayton School Board met in the High School Library on November 15, 2023. School board members present were Chair Jeffrey McCowen, Zac Fabian, Aneesha Dieu, Ryan Paulson, and Grant Griffin. Superintendent Rich Stewart and student representatives Madison Richardson and Lila Hutchens were also present.

One of the Board’s first actions was to approve Lila Hutchens as a student representative to the Board. She joins Madison Richardson as the second student representative. The student representative and ASB reports recap student activities from the previous month.

Athletic Director Sam Korslund announced the start of winter sports: wrestling and boys and girls basketball.

Elementary School Principal Amy Cox updated the Board on the Leadership Team’s progress on the Title 1 Part A School-wide Plan and the success of the PTSO-run book fair. She said each elementary school student was awarded a free book after the fair.

Cox announced the results of the election of ASB Elementary School officers. The newly elected officers are:

President – Auston Ferguson

Vice President – Lily Smith

Secretary – Ronan Gemmell

Treasurer – Molly Jonas

Technology Coordinator – Rae Howard

Board member Dieu stated that she had questions about the book fair and was reminded that the PTSO, not the school, runs it.

Dieu said, “I guess I’m just wondering what type of books are coming into the school.”

Cox said the teachers hand-picked those books, selecting them based on their students’ interests and abilities.

Dieu said she wanted “a little bit of a heightened awareness of all the books and how they’re coming in and out of the school. It might be where the principal needs to look things over, a body of teachers, something that we can somehow control that a little bit better.”

Stewart took the opportunity to emphasize his belief that male figures in the family, fathers, and grandfathers, are most influential in developing children’s reading habits. He encouraged fathers and grandfathers to take the time to read to or read with their children.

Secondary Principal Guin Joyce gave a shout-out to the FSA, who brought fresh apple pie to the board meeting.

Joyce said the secondary schools had mailed progress reports and letters explaining tutoring options and concerns about student attendance to families.

Head Custodian John Delp gave his report on maintenance, operations, and grounds. He said three controllers for the heating control system failed in the last week of October. Delp has been manually controlling the heat since the failure. He said the obsolete and failed controllers would need to be replaced.

Stewart announced a second school levy meeting scheduled for 6 p.m. on November 20, 2023, at the Port of Columbia board room. The previous meeting was held on November 7, 2023.

Board member appointee Ryan Paulson was sworn in during the November 7 work session. Members from the local Citizens for Education group participated in the levy discussion. The Superintendent seemed hesitant to ask for a levy of more than $1.50/$1000. Most attendees were concerned with student safety and the needed repairs for the continued operation of the schools. The board must also decide whether to seek a bond for capital projects. Dayton schools have not sought a bond for decades, and capital improvements have not kept pace with other school districts.

Stewart said he is researching the traits the district might use in the search for the new Superintendent. He is seeking input from a wide selection of stakeholders, including students, hoping to finish by Christmas. Stewart emphasized his desire to find a good fit and would prefer to hire an interim superintendent rather than be forced, by time considerations, to choose a candidate who is not a near-perfect fit.

Stewart closed his report by saying he was excited about passing the capital levy.