The Times - Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley

WAITSBURG—The Waitsburg School Board has decided to postpone its decision on whether to keep a life-skills class as a graduation requirement until the community has had more time to offer input.

Nancy Bickelhaupt, who has taught the Life Management Skills course at Waitsburg High School since its inception, was in attendance at last Thursday’s board meeting. She spoke passionately in favor of keeping the requirement. She noted that the course was made mandatory after it had been offered for only a year, and that the decision had been supported by both families of students and the school board at the time.

“We kind of put it out in the community and they said ‘yeah, we want our kids to have this,’” Bickelhaupt said, noting that the board approved the proposal almost immediately.

Bickelhaupt has also gotten plenty of positive feedback from alumni of the program. Many students, she says, have gotten hired on the strength of resumes assembled in her class – and gotten compliments on their applications as well. Others are grateful for the opportunity to learn the basics of finance and billing – important skills for would-be entrepreneurs.

“We now don’t have a place where kids learn some of the business stuff,” she said of the school’s other course offerings.

Bickelhaupt has also partnered with Walla Walla Community College to give her students free college credit for passing the class with a B or better. In fact, she says, LMS fulfills a course requirement for those seeking an AA degree from the community college.

Christy House, the board member who first proposed the change, thanked Bickelhaupt for her hard work and expressed her support for the class being offered in the future – just not as a requirement. She also pointed out that WWCC is phasing out the AA course requirement which LMS fulfills.

Bickelhaupt responded with her concern that if the course were offered as an elective, many students would opt out due to the difficulty.

“It’s a big decision,” Bickelhaupt said of the proposed change. “And it’s a time in the summer when a lot of people aren’t aware of it.”

Ultimately, the board voted to hold off on its final decision to allow for more extensive public comment. This means that the Class of 2022, this year’s incoming freshmen, will still be required to take LMS before they graduate.

Those who wish to offer comment on the issue may do so in person at the board’s next meeting or via e-mail at waitsburgsd.org/district/district-information.