The Medical Lake School Board went through several housekeeping items in their final meeting of the calendar year, Dec. 15
School board president Rod Von Lehe and director Ron Cooper took the oath of office and were sworn into their positions on the board. Von Lehe, Cooper and Felicia Jensen were reelected to the board after they ran unopposed in November school board elections. Jensen was absent at the meeting.
Von Lehe was reelected president of the board and Peggy Schweikhardt will remain vice president. Kelly Fouts will be the board’s legislative liaison and Cooper will continue to be the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association liaison.
In action items, the board approved local and regional legislative priorities for the 2016 session.
Local priorities include asking the Legislature to fully implement the McCleary requirements, fund a competitive market rate for certified and classified staff to attract and sustain quality employees and ensure a levy system that maintains local control and continue with Levy Equalization Assistance.
“There’s conversation about switching the LEA,” Superintendent Tim Ames said. “Until they fully fund McCleary, it’s going to be really a change of funding if they do that. Medical Lake collects $2.20 per $1,000 of assessed property value for a total of $667,000. We would lose $236,000 if they made a shift, so we’re asking them not to do that.”
The fourth local priority, which Ames said is special to the district, is staff will ask the Legislature to do a “temporary fix” to substitute teacher shortage.
“We tried to get retired teachers back as substitutes, but they took a compensation package and now they can’t sub until they are 65 years old,” Ames said.
Ames said the first regional priorities are similar to the regional objectives, which are shared with 58 other school districts. One priority that Ames noted is a request to allow bond issues pass with a simple majority rather than a supermajority.
In reports, Kim Headrick, director of teaching and learning, discussed how the district uses Title II funds. She said the district used the money last year to hire a second-grade teacher at Hallett Elementary School.
With the state beginning to fund K-3 class size reduction for 2015-16, Headrick said the district is shifting using those dollars to a fifth-grade teacher at Michael Anderson Elementary.
During his superintendent’s report, Ames announced No Child Left Behind “is no longer around” and was replaced with the “Every Student Succeeds Act,” which President Obama signed into law, Dec. 11.
Ames said the bill repeals adequate yearly progress requirements and replaces it with a statewide accountability system, maintains important information about student performance and focuses on improving learning outcome for all students.
In other business:
• The board approved the second reading of Policy 4131 “Nonresident students.”
• Ann Everett, special education coordinator for the district, said staff will form a citizens advisory group for parents with children with special education needs. Medical Lake will also host a resource fair for all parents with special education students, Jan. 25, 2016.
• Ames presented the Gold Star Award to middle school counselor Ted Koch for his effort of encouraging students to sign up for the College Bound Scholarship program.
• Headrick presented Hallett Elementary with the 2015 School of Distinction Award for being one of 5 percent highest improved schools in the state for increased reading and math achievement.
Al Stover can be reached at al@cheneyfreepress.com.
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