Notes from the January 23rd, 2007 School Board Meeting

What's Right:

This month's What's Rights all centered around the school board, since January is School Board Appreciation month. Don Johnson shared that he feels comfortable working with them in a way that other district financial officers don't; Ralph Headlee talked about how they're here for the kids; and Dr. Veltri praised them for being here for the kids. The Board gave themselves a collective pat on the back for the good rapport that they've had with each other, also thanking the administrative staff for helping them guide the district.

Athletic Director Chris Spring ended the time by talking about the upcoming spirit competition with West Valley. Kids from all over the school were working hard on making it a memorable night, and his hope was that 2,000 people would show for the games. A live video feed was going to be run to the auditorium in case of overflow attendance.

Communications:

Dr. Veltri read a proclamation from Governor Gregoire to go along with the School Board Appreciation theme. She estimates that the board has nearly 50 years of combined service to the district. Each board member was presented with a coat in the school colors to recognize them for their service.

Consent Agenda: The agenda was passed unanimously.

Individual Action Items:

The date of an upcoming Board work session was moved, because three members couldn't make it on the originally scheduled date. It will now be held on March 6th.

An older copier machine from Hallett was surplused. It now costs more to repair it than the actual machine is worth.

The Educational Support Services action plan was presented. They are working hard on how the principles in Response to Intervention can help us identify and respond to the kids' needs. They will make a report at the Board meeting next December to share the progress they've made.

Reports and Discussions:

Julie and Kelly agreed to pass out the diplomas during graduation. The alternative high school is still deciding what venue they'll use for their graduation ceremony (possibilities include the HS auditorium, or during a school board meeting), and they've selected black and silver as their school colors.

With regards to impact aid, the enrollment on base keeps declining though there is the possibility of a new tanker coming in by 2009. Nearly 50% of the students in the district are military kids, which is a number we shoot for.

Superintendent's Report:

The district is working at getting fuel tanks installed on district-owned land that could be used to fill up the busses, but the city is asking for an environmental impact report which could delay the process. More background information can be found at the Cheney Free Press.

There's a leak in the floor at MLMS that will require some jackhammer work over the spring break. There's also asbestos in the ceiling tiles at the district office which will need to be abated over the break.

The meeting was adjourned at 7:50 p.m.