The Times - Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley

DAYTON—Topics of discussion at last week’s meeting of the Dayton School Board included how to tackle the district’s budget deficit for the 2018-19 school year, as well as a facilities update, athletic combine update and enrollment update.

Budget

Superintendent Doug Johnson said because budgeted expenditures exceed revenue by $225,000, the district will need to consider implementing cost savings in order to maintain its financial health. Johnson and the Board will take a “deeper dive” at the October 3rd workshop meeting.

The elementary and high school principals and administrative personnel will be included in future talks about how to address the deficit, he said.

In the interim, board members will meet with high school and middle school ASB officers and Principal Kristina Brown to discuss the impact of the athletic combine on the district budget. Meetings will take place during the school day. Directors Katie Leid and Justin Jaech agreed to attend those meetings.

Facilities update

Drew Wright of Garland Company and Michael Jacobsen of Gillespie Roofing were on hand to talk about the poor condition of the sloped portion of high school roof. Wright said the exterior slope and gutter valleys are in an extremely deteriorated condition and he presented the board with two options for repairing them: to continue demolition, redecking, and reframing the gutter valleys for a cost of around $60,000, or to overbuild the gutter valleys, for a cost of $79,000.

The board decided on the second option to alleviate a possible safety issue for school maintenance staff.

Superintendent Johnson said he will ask for an extension of the contract the district has with Garland Company and he will apply for a state Urgent Repair Grant to raise money for the repairs.

If the district receives the grant, repairs can begin in the spring or the summer of 2019. Without this state funding mechanism, the district will need to consider other options, he said.

Athletic Combine Communications

Johnson said that students and coaches using texting and social media platforms, which might lead to inappropriate use, is a concern recently expressed by board members.

“At this time, it seems as though the only social media being used is Facebook. There is a page for the HS volleyball, and a page for the HS football program,” he said.

Johnson said he and Director Katie Leid will raise the issue with Waitsburg school officials at the next athletic combine meeting.

Enrollment

Student enrollment is equal to last year’s numbers, said Johnson. “That’s exactly what we budgeted for,” he said.

Johnson said enrollment could increase when Columbia Pulp, LLC becomes operational in December.

Show and Tell

Academic Specialist Monica Chapman provided the Board of Directors with an update on the WSU Gear Up program.

She said 18 students in grades 6 – 8 participated in the three-week summer program, studying environmental science, rocket science, and science math concepts .

“We had a lot of fun. The kids seemed to really enjoy it,” said Chapman. “We were really happy with the turnout.”

Gear Up is currently supporting eighth and ninth graders with resources for postsecondary education, she said. If a second Gear Up grant is awarded to the district, students in grades 6 and 7 will be supported, as well.

Chapman said the purpose of the Gear Up program is to create a culture of college-bound students. Thirteen out of 20 students from the District’s 2018 graduating class are attending college, she said.

A Financial Literacy Night is planned for the parents of eighth and ninth graders, on Sept. 24 at 6:30 p.m. in the Dayton High School auditorium, Chapman said.