The Times - Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley

PRESCOTT – Prescott school board members wrapped up their July 23 board meeting with a walk outside to inspect some of the many improvements that have been made to the school grounds and facilities over the summer, including the renovation of what will soon become the new ag building.

The district is looking forward to a year of growth, with the addition of a new agriculture economics program, the school's first FFA chapter, and an ECEAP preschool program.

Superintendent Brett Cox said that his certification as a District Vocational Director played a big role in the district's decision to hire him two years ago.

"The board was very interested in revitalizing the vocational program," he said. "It was important to them that students have the opportunity to get their hands on technology they'll use in the working world."

Cox said the board set goals to expand the school's elective offerings and start vocational programs his first year on board, and has been working steadily toward those goals ever since. This school year, the fruits of that labor will be realized as the district offers a vocational agriculture program for the first time in decades.

The program, which will include classes in horticulture, leadership, applied math and agricultural technology, will be taught by Scott Branson. Branson spent his career teaching vocational agriculture at Waitsburg High School. After his retirement, he took a position as site director for WSU's GEAR UP program in Prescott, where he has worked for the last several years.

"With his 30 years experience teaching vocational agriculture in Waitsburg, we're really fortunate to get Scott," said Cox. "He'll do a great job of getting the program up and running."

The large, white building next to the school's bus barn – formerly used for storage – will house the new program. Crews from the Department of Corrections have been clearing out the building and will soon paint the floors and walls.

"It's good to revitalize this space. It's going to be a great space again," Cox told school board members as they toured the building.

The front, quanset hut, portion of the building is designated to become a metal fabrication shop. The district has applied for a CTE (Career and Technical Education) grant which focuses on agricultural economics, that they anticipate will supply funds to purchase four welding stations, a plasma cutter, a drill press, tools and other equipment. Cox said it is possible the fabrication classes could start during the second semester, but it's more likely that they will begin a year from now.

The center section of the building will serve as a computer lab with 16 computer stations for the CASE (Cognitive Acceleration through Science Education) science curriculum. Another section, with counters and sinks for experiments, will be the applied science classroom. A small greenhouse will sit just outside the side door of that classroom, between the bus barn and the ag building.

Cox said this will be the first time in many years that students will be able to earn vocational credits and that the school also plans to start an FFA chapter. "The kids are pretty excited to get additional elective choices. It's been pretty limited," he said.

In addition to the new ag program, Prescott has received approval from the Educational Service District (ESD) to offer a preschool program this year. Cox said the district had a preschool in years past, but that the federally funded model wasn't self-sustaining and lost money.

The current model will be funded through the ECEAP (Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program) grant through EDS123, and will be fully funded. The preschool is a half-day program and the school board is exploring ways they could make it a full day program, which would make it more attractive for parents.

Prescott has also made several improvements to the school grounds over the summer. A large concrete slab replaced turf on the north side of the school building, which will eliminate the need to mow, irrigate and fertilize. More importantly, food delivery trucks can now drive up alongside the kitchen rather than parking on the street and carting food to the kitchen.

Two handicap parking spaces and an access ramp have been added to the back of the building, near the gymnasium, and the wooden baseball field/soccer field bleachers have been replaced. Rubber mats have been ordered to replace the bark chips underneath the playground equipment.

Dena Wood

Prescott schools Superintendent Brett Cox (far right) describes recent playground upgrades to board members (l to r) Eva Madrigal, Karen Tonne and Erik Young.

Cox said the district spent $1,600 on 20 tons of wood chips last year and they needed another 20 tons this year. "That's a third a cost of the mats right there, and the mats will last 30 years," he said.

With much accomplished this year, the district continues to plan for future improvements. They are currently working with Pacific Power to obtain a Blue Sky grant which would fund a solar panel array on the property and lower utility bills.

A $5,000 foundational grant from Pacific Power has been set aside to go toward reworking the school's dilapidated outdoor tennis and basketball courts. Cox said they would like to eliminate one basketball and tennis court and replace them with a soccer field for middle school soccer.

The board would like to see the remaining area converted to a sport court with basketball hoops, a tennis court and possibly an area to play pickleball. Cox said that idea is a "work in progress" and one that he hopes to work with the Parks and Rec. District and/or the Lion's Club to achieve.