School board adopts 2011-2012 budget

The board of directors held a budget workshop prior to the beginning of the July 27 meeting of the Odessa School Board. School superintendent Suellen White explained aspects of the new funding formula being used for the first time for the coming school year. The formula is used to determine how changes in student population effect apportionment of state funds to the districts. White said she was concerned about micro-management of school districts by the state legislature when using the formula, because it could affect local decision-making by directing funding to specific purposes and requiring districts to use the funds in a particular way instead of the way the local board feels the funds should be used based on local circumstances.

School board chairman Ed Deife then opened the public hearing on the budget for 2011-2012. Hearing no comments for or against the budget, he closed the hearing and opened the regular meeting. At the end of the meeting, the board unanimously approved the budget for the 2011-2012 school years for all funds.

At the end of June the district had $674,065 in reserve.

Personnel

The board approved the appointment of head custodian Justin Parr as concessions director and accepted the milk bid for the school cafeteria from Food Services of America and the bread bid from ?

Facilities work

David Palmer from Schneider Electric reported to the board on the completion of the energy-grant project. The few items left to be finished should be done soon. Palmer said he will also assist the district in finding funds to put the new finish on the rest of the elementary school exterior and to replace the roof.

White reported on the summer’s facilities projects:

1. The high school gym floor, damaged during the rebuilding of the gym heaters, required removal of part of the floor, milling of new wood, re-sanding of part of the floor (sanded just last summer) and the entire floors of both the gym and multipurpose room were refinished as part of annual floor maintenance work.

2. Basketball backboards have been ordered (the glass in one backboard was broken during this summer’s basketball camps). The basketball camp insurance company will cover the cost of replacement.

3. Remodeling of elementary bathrooms has begun, as has the wheelchair-ramp project.

4. Members of the school custodial staff, Justin Parr, Dennis Schuh and Mona Pope, are painting the elementary and middle school hallways.

5. Carpet will be laid in the remaining elementary school classrooms before school starts.

Summer food program

White reported that the summer food service program is serving between 10 and 20 breakfasts and averaging in the high 30s for lunch, with many days of 50 or more lunches served. Summer program coordinator Nancy Glines was commended by White for preparing tasty, healthy and diverse breakfasts and lunches for the children. Next year, plans are to serve lunches in the town park and have students stay in the serving area until they are finished eating to prevent trash from being left around the park. Supervision will also help, she said.

Professional development

White reported on professional development opportunities that teaching staff members have participated in over the summer. The district allowed teachers to use next year's extra per diem days this summer, and many have taken advantage of this option to attend worthwhile workshops and conferences.

Principal’s report

Principal Ken Schutz reported on his Washington D.C. meeting with eastern Washington’s Congressional delegation about re-authorization of ESEA. His trip was paid for by the Association of Washington School Principals. He also attended a conference about using new teacher-evaluation models on Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) teachers. He discussed the new evaluation models and differences between the old and new systems. The new system will have rubrics for the different standards and provide teachers opportunities to collect evidence of their teaching practices to share with their evaluator.

FBLA conference

Schutz reported on the success of the high school chapter of FBLA at the national conference in July. FBLA advisor Terri King told the board about the trip, the preparations, the presentations and the fun. With King was freshman student (to be a sophomore this year) Carley Williams, the youngest member of the group of 17 that went to the Orlando, Fla. conference, who also told of the experience from her perspective. Kolby Crossley arrived while Williams was still speaking (having finished his work as a lifeguard at the pool) and added his report with great enthusiasm, as did his mother Chris Crossley, who also went on the trip as a chaperone. They all thanked the board for supporting the FBLA’s national trip. King added that the entire community contributed to making the trip happen. Highlights of it included an unplanned stop at the Daytona Speedway, the boardwalk at the beach and meeting racecar driver Dale Jarrett.

Curriculum committee

The board heard recommendations from the curriculum committee to adopt five books for middle-school readers who have finished the basal series. Schutz said that the classroom sets of the books, along with the study guides, will be used in the sixth-grade classroom as part of the reading curriculum. The board also heard a recommendation for AP (Advanced Placement) English for 11th and 12th grade, as Dr. Duane Pitts presented the textbook that he feels best prepares the students for the AP exam. Students who take the AP exam will be awarded AP credit, no matter the score; different colleges award college credit for AP scores meeting their individual criteria, so students will have the opportunity to receive college credit through this process. The board approved both recommendations.

Board member Marcus Horak volunteered for the open board position on the Curriculum Advisory Committee.

The next regular board meeting will be held August 24.