The Times - Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley

School Board Appreciation:

School board members were recognized by NHS and the kindergarten class. See story on the Last Page.

Athletic Director Report:

Athletic Director Stephanie Wooderchak suggested that fans communicate closely with coaches or call the school or visit the Waitsburg High School Facebook page to keep updated on game changes due to weather. A

Athletic directors are still working to find a venue to host the 1B district basketball tournament.

Senior night for basketball and cheer will be Feb. 3.

Spring sports will begin Feb. 27.

Transportation/Maintenance/Facilities Report:

Supervisor Colter Mohney said they have found a cost-effective option for upgrading the older light fixtures in Preston Hall to use energy efficient LED bulbs. He said they will slowly transition from the older bulbs to the new but he will check with Pacific Power & Light to see if the district would be eligible for an energy savings rebate, and how much it would be, if they retrofitted all the fixtures at once.

Superintendent’s Report:

Enrollment is 292.7 FTE students, with a head count of 300 students. This is about 20 students over what was budgeted.

Stephanie Wooderchak was selected as the 2016-17 Three Rivers Region Middle Level Principal of the Year. (See story above)

Superintendent Search Update:

Northwest Leadership Associates will use the data collected from the survey posted on the district website to develop a brochure to give to district superintendent applicants. Dr. Bill Jordan will meet with the school board in an executive session during or prior to the Feb. 8 school board meeting to discuss progress and prepare for the interview phase. Jordan has indicated that he has already received inquiries about the position.

Capital Projects Bond Update:

A request for qualifications for architect and engineering services is scheduled to be posted in the Tri-City Herald. the RFQ is also available through a link posted on the district website at http://www.waitsburgsd.org. Qualification statements are due to the district office by Fri., Feb. 3 at 4 p.m..

Custodial Maintenance Support:

The board unanimously approved the addition of a part-time custodian position on a 100 day trial basis. They also approved changing the hours of the night custodian to 4 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. to allow four hours of uninterrupted cleaning time in the mornings and to minimize the nighttime hours an individual is alone in the buildings. The hour change will begin with the full-time replacement custodian and newly approved part-time custodian hires and will continue on a trial basis through June.

The new part-time custodian position was added specifically to clean the buildings. Dr. Clarke said that adding the position for a full contract year would cost the district approximately $16,000 (depending on experience), plus half benefits. The board approved the additional position and hour changes and will re-evaluate after 100 days.

Collective Bargaining Agreement:

The board unanimously approved the collective bargaining agreement with the Waitsburg Education Association.

Personnel:

The board unanimously approved the hires of Lanny Adams as high school track & field coach and Ann Adams as high school track & field assistant coach.

Executive Session:

The board adjourned for executive session to review a publicly held contract.