OROVILLE – Oroville School Directors approved several certified staff for the 2011/2012 school year at their Monday, May 23 board meeting.

The staff approval was part of a larger consent agenda that included approval of hiring Shay Shaw as the business manager for next school year at a salary of $55,263. However, Superintendent Steve Quick asked that the board table three items from the agenda – hiring elementary school principal Gary Pringle, at a salary of $80,000; junior-senior high principal Patricia Scott at $85,000 and Quick at $98,000 for the 2011/12 school year.

The certified staff that was approved included Walt Arnold, Lisa Bourn, Carol Byrum Kelsey Cleveland, Linda Colvin, Steve Colvin, Patricia Dagnon, Brett Fancher, Michele Fancher, Maria Griffin, Shelly Gutierrez, Amy Harris, Krystal Harris, DeHaven Hill, Tam Hutchinson, Carl Iverson, Harold Jensen, Lynn Johnson, Doug Kee, Hether Kelly, Tony Kindred, Kelly King, Jacqueline Marshall, Ed Naillon, Jennifer Oaks, John Ragsdale, Chuck Ricevuto, Kristin Sarmiento, Julie Schildgen, Jodi Shirley, Pat Smith Eric Stiles, George Thornton, Donita VanWoert, Danny Vassar, Cheri Wahl, Jordon Weddel, Mary Willey, Cenah Whiteaker and Linda Zosel.

Also approved under the consent agenda was the hiring of Carl Iverson as a teacher and Laara Peters as a paraprofessional for 24 days for the 2011 summer school session.

Resolution 243 was also given the nod and will request the State Board of Education grant a waiver for three days from the 180-day requirement. Oroville teachers would use these days at the beginning of the school year.

Supt. Quick explained that some districts request the waivers for professional learning days for the teachers. In the past the state funded two days, but has since taken the funding away in their budget cutting.

“It gives time for the teachers to collaborate prior to the school year. But just because we approve doesn’t mean the state school board will approve,” Quick said. “I guarantee that if the state has furlough days it will cancel all the waivers.”

Monday’s meeting began with “Good News.” Director Tedi Fletcher commented that the new sign in front of the elementary “looks great.” Principal Smith, holding two first place ribbons, told the board that the OHS marching band had won them in the Oroville and Keromeos parades. Quick said that the district had gotten the “thumbs up” for one of its teachers, Walt Arnold, to teach drivers education.

“So the district will probably have to look at getting a car,” said Quick.

In his superintendent’s report, Quick said he had nominated the Oroville’s School Directors for “Regional Board of the Year,” but they didn’t win. However, at the award ceremony he attended another of his nominees, Dick Garner, won the “Friends of the Children” award. The North Central Educational Services District hosted an awards ceremony on May 12 in Wenatchee and Quick made the presentation to Garner.

“Dick Garner is very deserving for the work he does with the Booster Club,” said Quick. “It is the behind-the-scenes people like him that give of themselves that need to be recognized.”

The superintendent also reported that the Dominican Republic exchange students scheduled to visit OHS before the end of the school year were not going to be able to make it. He said that they would probably be coming next September 2011 and that the exchange students from Turkey would probably be here early in the next school year.

Elementary principal Gary Pringle gave his report next. He told the board that Sixth Grade Camp had been exciting, particularly because its location was changed to Conconully due to the snow at Lost Lake.

He said the school had a science fair this year and that the PTO had donated eight picture frames for photographs of students chosen each month as Super Citizens.

“We’ve had a bit of movement with Patricia Dagnon going from fourth grade teacher to the second grade and John Ragsdale asked to go back to the classroom,” he said.

Pringle also discussed the different ways of assessing academic progress at the elementary school and of predicting how students will do in the coming school year.

Junior-senior high principal Patricia Scott said an honor society had been started and there were five students honored this year.

“The senior projects are almost completed and we are looking at what’s working and what’s not,” she said.

She added that they were also looking at what is and isn’t working in the student handbook.

“There are not many changes,” Scott said.

Shaw gave her monthly financial report and asked the board if they could hold the budget hearing at the regular board meeting on July 25.

“We would usually hold it in June, but due to the lateness of the state budget that’s not going to happen,” said Shaw. The board agreed and also set July 11 as a tentative board workshop.

Shaw discussed the need to increase the cost of school meals to those who pay out of pocket as federal rules say the meals should cost at least as much as what the federal government pays per student in the free and reduced lunch program. Chartwells manages meal programs in several area school districts, including Oroville. Shaw spoke with the Chartwells representative who said the district had three years to bring it up to the federal level and suggested the price be increased by 25 cents per meal for this year and next.

“With the increases in food prices expected next year we would have had to raise the prices anyway,” she said, adding that the increases would just affect people who pay for their meals.

Shaw said the same is being done in nearby school districts and that since Chartwell’s has been running the district’s program the overall cost to the district has been reduced.

“We used to be $40,000 to $50,000 in the red each year, now we are looking at closer to $20,000,” Shaw said.

“Maybe with the increase in costs we will have better luck with the parents filling out the paperwork for the free and reduced lunch program,” said Quick.

Chairwoman Tedi Fletcher requested a 30-minute closed-door executive session under exemption (g) of the state Open Public Meetings Act to review Quick’s performance as superintendent and to discuss approval of his contract for a period commencing July 1, 2011 through June 20, 2014.

The next Oroville School Board meeting will be Monday, June 27 at 5 p.m. at the district office located at 816 Juniper.