Superintendent's Corner

Students, parents, staff and the community have worked hard together to produce a wonderful school year. I want to wish everyone a great summer full of fun and relaxation. Congratulations to our graduates; I wish them the best. We accomplished a lot this year and are going to continue our work to keep Odessa the best school around.

In response to concerns about the growing numbers of students who qualify for free and reduced meals at school, we decided to offer a summer breakfast and lunch program. The program will begin Monday, June 27. Nancy Glines will be preparing the meals, serving breakfast from 8 to 9 a.m. in the school cafeteria.

Any young person under 18 years of age can show up and eat. You do not need to qualify, and no questions will be asked. Nancy will have a TV in the cafeteria, and she is hoping to provide some arts and crafts for those interested. She is asking children to use the cafeteria entrance off of the playground to come in.

Nancy will also be serving sack lunches at the Odessa Food Bank located within the Odessa Foursquare Church on First Avenue from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Mondays through Fridays. If anyone would like to volunteer to help with arts and crafts or provide supervision at the food bank, give Nancy a call at 982-2668.

There are lots of projects happening this summer at school. We will be using Capital Projects Levy funds to remedy building deficiencies which currently limit the use of our building for those with mobility issues. We will be installing a ramp from the lower elementary wing up to the rest of the building. We will also be replacing the in-classroom bathrooms between the kindergarten and first grade rooms with handicapped accessible facilities. (Anyone who has been in the current bathrooms will know one of the handicaps this change will address is being larger than a third grader!)

Along with the ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) upgrades we are going to take care of some aesthetic issues. We are going to replace the fascia board and soffits around the elementary school to finish up the exterior upgrade. Some of the FBLA students who are headed to the national Future Business Leaders of America conference this summer in Orlando, Fla., earned funds for their trip by removing the wallpaper from the elementary hallways. The wallpaper had reached the end of its life and was coming off in patches. We will be patching, texturing and painting these walls. Finally, we will be carpeting the remaining four elementary classrooms. If you have any questions give me a call and I would be happy to discuss the summer’s projects with you.

The school board and I are happy to report we will not be reducing the salaries of any of our staff due to the recent salary reduction passed by the legislature. Our cash reserve is sufficient to cover these costs. Our staff work very hard and are very effective, as evidenced by the continued improvement, awards and recognition our school receives. We do not believe they should be paid less for the same work. Due to salary compliance legislation, the teachers had to agree to work an additional 28 hours to receive the same pay. As everyone who is around the school realizes, our teachers normally work many more hours than required, so they will be able to report these hours and thus won't take a cut in pay.

I will be in the district on Wednesdays and Thursdays throughout the summer. Feel free to contact me any time. You can stop by, call 982-2668 or email me at whites@odessa.wednet.edu. I monitor my email daily from home. I also have a cell you can reach me at now and then (I don't get good cell service at my house), 988-0252.