School board inspects summer work projects completed

The Odessa School District board of directors met August 28, 2013. Prior to the regular meeting, the board members and the school administrators met to inspect the work done to facilities over the summer. They inspected the new window at the elementary entrance, refurbishing of the elementary/junior-high computer lab, placement of “cubbies” at the cafeteria entrance for bags and coats, removal of the pillar outside the high-school office to provide a better view of the entry doors, rehanging of the library door to open from the opposite side, installing new panic bars on the multipurpose room doors, painting the gym exterior, replacing the soffit and fascia around the gym and repairing the roof on the gym storage shed.

Personnel

The board approved contracts for Amy Hunt as pep club advisor, Justin Parr as concessions director and LaRee Kuchenbuch as high-school assistant volleyball coach. Extracurricular contracts were also approved for Craig Holman for music, Jeanie Read for National Honor Society, Terri King for FBLA, Erica Whitmore for FFA, Ellen Holman for Knowledge Bowl, Larry Moffet for junior class advisor, Jacky Allington for sophomore class advisor, Larry Weber for junior-high advisor and Terri King for the annual yearbook. Extended contracts were approved for Erica Whitmore for ag, Terri King for business, Jeanie Read for special ed., and Terri King for acting as technology coordinator. A three-percent increase was approved in the contracts for guidance/career counselor Dr. Jerry Schwab and curriculum/assessment coordinator Bev Scherr.

The board approved overnight travel for any Titan athletic team qualifying for post-season play requiring an overnight stay.

Superintendent’s report

Superintendent Suellen White said the district enrolled 11 new students and lost only one from last year.

Preschool

A preschool meeting was scheduled to discuss preschool options with parents. As in the past, too many children signed up to be put into just one class. Parents will therefore have the option of continuing a program for 3-year-olds two days a week, except for the ECEAP (government program for low-income families) youngsters, who will have to attend three days per week. The financial arrangements will be the same as last year, with ESD (Educational Services District, Spokane) paying the teacher and the Odessa School District paying the paraprofessional, providing the classroom and supplies and serving breakfast.

Running Start

One student has signed up for “Running Start,” a program for obtaining college credit while still in high school. White said she had met with the president of Big Bend Community College, Dr. Terry Laes, to discuss a potential partnership for bringing college credit to local high school students through BBCC.

High-school math teacher Travis Schuh went to Ellensburg to learn about a program at Central Washington University for the same purpose. White said the school is committed to finding more ways to get college credits for students to help reduce college costs and retain students. The school currently has advanced-placement English and online Running Start through EWU.

Concussion testing

White reported the purchase of a concussion baseline testing program approved at the Athletic Co-op board meeting in June. All football and volleyball players will be tested initially. Coach Bruce Todd is the program coordinator.

Technology

Ian Hansen of Innovation Computing will be the onsite computer technician this year. He made a presentation to the staff about the school’s wireless system and how to use it with the technology devices owned or used by staff members. Board members may also register a device in order to use the school wireless system.

A plan is in place to offer email to some students this year and to register students’ devices once a form is filled out and acceptable use of the device is agreed to. All devices using the district wireless system will be filtered by the school’s Internet filtering service.

Principal’s report

Principal Ken Schutz reported on the beginning of school activities. On the Monday before school started, all teachers and paraprofessionals heard from Dr. Greg Benner on continued implementation of Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports. He reinforced the efforts made in the past and gave new insights on how to move forward to meet the needs of the hardest-to-serve students. Tuesday, the staff heard about the district’s Emergency Management Plan and improvements being made to enhance the safety and security of students, along with all other required annual notifications and training.

Schutz reported on the successful summer-school program, including the purchase of an online adaptive math curriculum that will continue to be used in remedial math programs in the upper grades this year. He told the board that chaperone Becky Kolterman had memorialized the reward trip to Silverwood theme park for some summer-school students by making a picture collage for them. One student went around school showing his gift, letting staff know his Silverwood trip was the best day of his life.

The high school football team has had 25 boys turn out, and the volleyball team has had 19 girls turn out. There may not be enough interested students to field a junior-high football team. Depending on numbers, a determination of the viability of the program was to be made Friday. If there is no JH football, six of those who turned out can move up to the high-school team.

After a question from board member Marcus Horak, Schutz reported that the Natural Helpers program is being reactivated this year. He hopes student training can begin in October.

Facilities

Facilities director Justin Parr reported that the prior weekend’s windstorm severely damaged the roof over the gym foyer. The insurance company approved getting it repaired as soon as possible. Since Tom VanderEnde of Diamond Construction in Odessa was on campus finishing up the summer project work, he was asked to repair the roof.

Parr said some of the issues on the facilities list had been completed, including painting rooms, painting the bathroom floors in the gym basement, trimming trees, changing room configurations, helping Diamond Construction on projects and helping Innovation Computing on projects.

White reported on another issue involving the school facility. An effort is under way to connect the fire alarm systems in the high school and elementary school. When the new high school was built in the 1980s, the formerly separate elementary school and gymnasium were modified to connect to the new structure, forming one longer building out of three separate ones.

Since that time, however, the elementary has maintained a separate alarm system from the high school. To bring the two systems together and ensure that all students are notified at the same time of any emergency, the board agreed to have improvements made. The district has received a quote for providing the devices, wiring and installation needed to meet the initial goals. A new fire system panel will be installed in the elementary wing that will provide redundancy for the current panel and the ability to expand the system in the future. It will provide new alarm horns and strobe lights in addition to smoke and heat sensors in the hallways. The plans must be approved by the town’s fire department, so a meeting will be set up soon.

Miscellaneous

The board approved the negotiated contracts for the teaching staff, providing one additional per-diem day in addition to the 1.9% raise passed by the legislature and for the PSE providing an across-the-board 1% raise for all classified employees.

White reported the ending cash balance in the general fund at the end of July was $616,386.

The next regular board meeting is September 25, 2013 at 7 p.m. in the high-school library.