School board

The Odessa School Board held a budget workshop in the district office at 6 p.m. on July 27, with superintendent Dan Read giving a brief overview of the revenues and expenditures budgeted for each of the funds. The board also completed Read’s evaluation and discussed goals for the next school year.

Board chairman Ed Deife then opened the budget hearing at 7 p.m. in the library just prior to the regular monthly meeting. Read gave a brief overview of the 2016-17 budget proposal, handing out a 2016-17 materials, supplies and operating costs disclosure summary to board members showing the district’s anticipated allocation for those items at $253,131. Read said the district’s allocation will only pay approximately 40% of the related expenditures. Budgeted expenditures in programs 01 and 97 totaled $620,920.

Hearing no input or questions from the audience, Deife closed the budget hearing at 7:05 p.m. and opened the regular board meeting with chairman Deife, board members Heather Valverde, Roland Singer and Chris Crossley present, along with superintendent Read and business manager Juli Weishaar. Also present were operations supervisor Justin Parr and Terrie Schmidt-Crosby of The Odessa Record. Principal Jamie Nelson and board member Janie Steward were absent due to family matters.

There was no staff or public input.

Under the consent agenda, the board approved the minutes of the June 22, 2016 regular meeting, bills and payroll warrants for June, direct deposit warrants for $241,874.06, a general fund warrant for $68,127.41, ASB fund warrants for $8,798.45, general fund warrant for $626.62.

The hiring of HaLee Walter of Odessa as the ag teacher (.67 full-time equivalent position) and FFA advisor was approved.

Read delivered Nelson’s report in her absence. Nelson congratulated the FBLA students on their success at the recent FBLA National Conference in Atlanta, Ga. and for being nationally recognized for their Lead2Feed project. Nelson also reported that FBLA advisor Terri King had traveled to Louisville, Ky. to serve on the Lead2Feed advisory board earlier in the month.

Read reported that summer school, under the teaching direction of Charli Moffet and Kendall Todd, has been very beneficial for the students selected earlier by school district staff to attend. The students have the option to participate in the summer feeding program as well.

Read said registration for next school year will be August 15 and 16, adding that teachers will return August 29, and the annual all-staff, in-service day will take place August 30.

No reports were received from board members or the athletic director.

Justin Parr reported that the walking deck and railings have been replaced at the Finney Field grandstand. Two new water-bottle filling stations have also been installed in the junior high and high school buildings, two sections of sidewalk along the bus lane are being replaced and repairs to the roof have been completed. He said the gyms will be closed for three weeks while the floors are being refinished. Surplus bus #3 was sold after having being posted on Craigslist.

Read presented the ASB balance sheet for June, as well as the financial activity reports for the general fund for June showing revenue at $260,332 and expenditures at $312,646 for an ending balance of $642,429.

Read gave board members a handout from principal Nelson detailing her concerns regarding the plan Chris Shafer had outlined at the previous board meeting which would allow him to be both the head junior-high girls basketball coach and the high-school assistant girls basketball coach. Following a short discussion, the board agreed to table the matter until more information could be obtained from the athletic director and Harrington’s administration and school board.

Due to conflicts with the Lincoln County Fair, the next regular board meeting will be held Tuesday, August 23, 2016 at 7 p.m. in the high school library rather than on the last Wednesday of the month. The board also scheduled a workshop at 6:30 p.m. before the regular meeting.

Budget resolution #6-2015-2016 reading, in part, as follows: “Whereas, WAC 391-123-054 requires that the Board of Directors of every school district meet for the purpose of fixing and adopting the budget of the district for the ensuing year; and Whereas, a public notice was published..., Now, Therefore, be it Resolved, that the Board of Directors... has determined that the final appropriation level of expenditure for each fund will be as follows:

A. General fund $3,982,443

B. Capital projects fund

$120,000

C. Debt service fund

$37,858

D. Assoc. student body

$136,650

E. Transp. vehicle fund

$103,460

Be it further resolved, the Board of Directors authorizes the Superintendent to apply for State and Federal grants and programs as follows:

Program No. 24, IDEA Part B; Program No. 24, IDEA Pre-school 619; Program No. 28, Carl Perkins Vocational; Program No. 51 Disadvantaged (Title I, Part A); Program No. 52, School Improvement (Title II TQT); Program No. 52 School Improvement (Title VI SRSAP); Program No. 55, Learning Assistance (LAP); Program No. 58 TPEP Teacher Training Funds; Program No. 74 High Capable Program.

Adopted at the regular meeting of the Board of Directors of Odessa School District #105-157-166J…”

A donation of $1,800 to the FBLA chapter from the Odessa Fire Department was approved by the board for the involvement of the students in feeding firefighters during the two most recent emergencies near Odessa.

In a final action approved by the board, Policy #4215 on the use of tobacco and nicotine products, Read reported on minor changes made to the policy in order to clarify the use of vapor products and delivery devices.

There was no executive session.