Schools: Private donations contribute $199,000

At the last Orcas Island School District (OISD) board meeting before the new school year begins on Sept. 3, the Board acknowledged the significant contribution of individuals in the community, which gave $190,000 through the Orcas Island Education Foundation (OIEF) and the Orcas Island Community Foundation (OICF) to support school programs.

Board President Janet Brownell said, “The community realizes it has this commitment to education and gave almost as much as last year with very little publicity, and we are deeply grateful.”

Brownell noted that the contribution of the Community Foundation was instrumental in creating the Education Initiative.

At the meeting on Aug. 28, the board accepted an additional $8,800 donation from the Music Advocacy Group to reinstate the elementary music program and the high school music technology program.

By approving the consent agenda, the board approved personnel actions that reinstated many programs and positions in the district.

Elementary Principal Tom Gobeske reported that the newest WASL scores show that, after a decline, Orcas Elementary students’ scores “snapped upwards” and that the middle school scores remained high.

Gobeske said that enrollment prospects look strong, with a number of families moving into the OISD.

Gobeske also reported, in his new roles as Maintenance, Transportation and Food Services Supervisors, on those departments.

The Board members in attendance – Brownell, Scott Lancaster and Keith Whitaker – reviewed policy changes, and removed the proposed Use of Facilities Rentals policy from the review. Whitaker proposed reconsidering the increase in fees, which had been structured to double for children’s activities, and to increase by one-and-a-half for adult activities. After some discussion, the Board agreed that it seemed more appropriate to double the adult fees, and increase the children’s fees by the lower amount.

The board also voted on an added agenda item to increase the cost of school breakfast from $1.25 to $1.50.

The Alternative Learning Experience (ALE) grade-school program will have a classroom in the elementary school this year, and the council is creating a site council for management of that program. Election forms will be sent out Sept. 10 for members of the site council.

Brownell announced that she and Superintendent/High School Principal Barbara Kline have been invited by Jim Kowalkowski, Director of the Rural Education Center at WSU (who was sent by Governor Gregoire to work with the OISD last month) to speak to the Legislature’s Basic Education Task Force for half an hour on Sept. 16. It was also announced that Board Member Tony Ghazel will attend the Washington State School Directors’ Association (WSSDA) meeting this month to promote a levy lift by district to aid in Orcas’ public school funding.

OISD Business Manager Ben Thomas reported that the district currently has $216,000 in its fund reserve.

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