The Times - Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley

DAYTON—Dayton Elementary Principal Denise Smith and High School Principal Kristina Brown both gave reports during the Dayton School Board meeting last week.

Sept. 19 was a late start day, and a trainer for the iReady assessment tool was on hand to help staff with the data, and how to use the software appropriately for assessing students in Reading and Math.

Elementary Principal Denise Smith said the first benchmark testing for iReady is complete.

“We are starting to dig into the data, to develop groupings to meet the needs of students,” she said. “We will be having data meetings by grade levels to discuss how best to meet the needs of all students and support the learning of students ready to move further.”

Teachers are “knee deep” in implementing “Ready Math” and are doing a great job of teaching the curriculum, Smith added.

Smith said the PTSO sponsored Walk-a-Thon will take place on Sept. 28 at the high school track, from 9 to 10 a.m.

High school principal Brown said students in Shayna Hutchens’ Youth and Government Club are planning debates between Dain Nysoe and Chuck Amerein, who are running for Merle Jackson’s seat on the Board of County Commissioners, and between Joe Helm and Jeff Jenkins, who are running for county sheriff. The debates will be held Oct. 2 in the high school auditorium during the seventh-hour period, at 2 p.m. They are open to the public.

The Youth and Government Club will also be hosting an eastern regional meeting in October.

Brown also told the Board of Directors she has formed a Student Assistance Team. The team meets once a week after school and has created a school-wide referral system for students in need. The school staff is invited to attend the meetings and make referrals, she said.

Brown reported that 13 FFA students participated in the county fairs.

Homecoming is earlier this year, said ASB President Neylon Bryan. She said the Homecoming dance will be held in Waitsburg, on Sept. 29. The theme is “Purple Rain.”

“It’s pulling together pretty well,” said Bryan.

The next project for the ASB is promoting school spirit, and there will be daily themes to help boost school spirit.

Facilities Improvement

Superintendent Doug Johnson discussed several grant applications. He said applications for two grants have been submitted. One is a grant in the amount of $33,000 that would go to replace door handles with ADA compliant levers. The other, in the amount of $102,000, would go to repair the sloped roof on the high school, and provide exterior gutters.

Two other grants are in process: one for health and nutrition, which could go toward the purchase of backstops for PE classes in the elementary and high schools. The other is a “Small School Modernization” grant.

Johnson said the new water heater is on-line and Honeywell will start testing the system. Strobes and speakers are still a work in process, he added.

Athletic Combine

Johnson said 15 athletes have turned out for high school volleyball, and the same number, or more, in the middle school. Eleven athletes from Dayton and about the same number in Waitsburg have turned out for football. Eleven students are in cheerleading.

An interview will take place Sept. 25 for middle school boys’ basketball coach.

Johnson said transportation is going pretty well for practices and games, considering there is still a need for bus drivers. Practices have been shortened by 5 or 10 minutes, which can’t be helped, because of transportation logistics back and forth between Dayton and Waitsburg.

Student enrollment

“We budgeted for 384 students, but the current school enrollment stands at 371,” said Johnson. “It’s disappointing, currently. We have fewer school age kids living in our community,”

Johnson said he hopes student enrollment will increase when the new Columbia Pulp plant near Starbuck becomes operational.

Facility use

Johnson discussed the facility use policy with the board and said that instituting a fee for use might be a good idea. The District would charge, at the most, $25 per event held on school grounds, he said.

Director Dave Bailey said he thought if a profit generating event wants to use school facilities they should pay a fee for that.

Budget

Business Manager Paula Moisio said the District has had a windfall from federal forest payments and from the Perkins Grants which gives the District a net gain of $112,000, and which will reduce the deficit from $223,000 to $111,000.

“We will still need to take the deficit in enrollment into account,” said Moisio.

Action

The Board of Directors approved an amendment to the residency requirement for the District’s superintendent. They also approved a contract between the District and the Columbia County Health System to share nursing services.