TONASKET – At the school board meeting on Monday, Jan. 26, Superintendent Randy Hauff announced that the Tonasket School District had been recognized for their outstanding bus maintenance.

“The Washington State Patrol school bus inspection team and I wish to commend your district and those persons responsible for the maintenance of your buses for the outstanding bus inspections of winter and summer 2008,” Hauff read from a letter written by Jan Clarence, Regional Transportation Coordinator. Clarence wrote that a certificate to be presented to the Transportation Supervisor was enclosed “in recognition of the dedication and efforts of those individuals responsible.”

“We get these every year, but we like getting them,” Hauff said. “Our buses need to be safe on the road and the work Jeff Yeckel and Paul Schuldheisz do is really important and the recognition is important.”

Haley Grillo, ASB school board representative, then gave her report to the board.

“The ASB’s current project is getting ready for winterfest, the date has been set for March 14,” Grillo said. “This year, winterfest will be run and organized by Brandon Wahl. He will be using this as his senior project. The final categories for the show have been selected and we will be voting soon on the finalist. The hosts are being selected as well as the presenters. We also have a guest speaker, Mark Peek, coming on March 23 from 8:45 to 9:45.”

Grillo told the board that the Future Farmers of America recently attended a trap shooting competition in Kettle Falls where they did very well. She said the horticulture class is receiving a shipment of about 800 plants to grow to begin getting ready for their annual plant sale.

During Tonasket Elementary School Principal Jeff Cravy’s report, he said that some staff members attended the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) Winter Conference in Olympia where the focus was on math and PE/Health and Fitness requirements.

“The few that trekked across the mountains were truly committed to attending and getting the training,” Cravy said. “They could easily have stayed home, with the snow and the pass closing, but they chose to go instead.”

Cravy also told the board that Classroom Based Assessment (CBA) in Health and Fitness would be administered this year. He said that on Jan. 13, eight teachers attended the Social Studies CBAs at Tonasket in which Republic, Omak, Oroville and Okanogan had been invited. He said CBAs will be administered in grades three, four and five.

Tonasket Middle School Principal Ed Morgan then discussed Professional Learning Communities (PLC) with the board, stating that the PLC’s all fit together by asking four questions: What do you want students to know? How will you know if they have learned it? What will you do for those who have? What will you do for those who have not?

Hauff then gave a report to the board with information he received from OSPI which talked about the governor’s budget specific to Tonasket and the reductions Tonasket would see.

“In Basic Education, the Tonasket School District will see a reduction of $144,090 and the Extended Basic Program’s reduction will be $203,057,” Hauff said. “In Levy Equalization, there will be a reduction of $187,439. In Math and Science, there will be a reduction of $28,793. In I728-Student Achievement, the reduction will be $98,016. Full-day kindergarten will receive a reduction of $7,074. In the Expected Budget for 2009-10, the governor indicates that we’ll receive $668,469 less.”

Hauff said the Tonasket School District has never seen that large of a cut. He added that there are still two more budget proposals from the Senate and the House. At the some point, “they’ll negotiate the final proposal that we’ll have to develop our district budget from,” he said.

Hauff then told the board that Jacki Gliddon is the second person in the district to receive the National Board Certification.

“She will receive the board approved OSPI payment to her certification,” he said.

The school board’s next meeting will be on Monday, Feb. 9 at 7 p.m. in the district board room.