TONASKET – During the regular Tonasket School Board meeting on Monday, Oct. 25 the official field trip request for the Tonasket marching band to go to Disneyland in March was approved.

“We continue to roll with this all the time and we’ve had so many good things happen,” Vicki Good with the Tonasket Music Boosters said. “Our application to march in the Disneyland parade has been approved and Jack Black has donated $10,000 which will cover the expenses of the Disneyland music clinic and passes for everyone into the park. Black is also sponsoring a dinner for us while we’re down there.”

In addition to the $10,000 donation, the Music Boosters have raised $10,852.92 thus far, exceeding their fundraising goal of $7,000 by the end of October. By the end of November, the group’s fundraising goal is have another $7,000 raised and another $7,000 in December, with the goal being a total of $21,000 by the end of December. Each student going on the trip needs between $300 and $400 raised for the trip and the group is keeping track of how much money each student raises for their account. Linda Black is also seeking food donations

The itinerary is for the group to leave Tonasket on Wednesday, March 9 to travel the 21 hours by bus to Disneyland in Anaheim, Calif. The music clinic will be during the morning of Friday, March 11 and the band will be marching in the parade that evening. Saturday, March 12 will mostly be a free day for the group to play in Disneyland and they plan to be back in Tonasket by the evening of Sunday, March 13.

With the condition of having met the fundraising goal by the end of December, as well as having chosen trained chaperones for the trip, the school board approved the trip.

THS senior Jessica Rhoads, this year’s ASB school board representative, spoke to the board about the events and activities going that have happened at the high school over the last two weeks, concluding with telling them about special events being planned in honor of senior night for the sports teams this week.

“The sophomore class is sponsoring a car bash this Thursday, Oct. 28 from 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the softball field parking lot,” Rhoads said. “The cost is $2 for one minute of hitting. Safety and hitting items will be supplied such as goggles, gloves, sledgehammers and metal bats. Also on Oct. 28 the cheerleaders and advisor Crystal Gage are sponsoring a spirit bonfire at the softball field parking lot from 7:30 p.m. until the fire goes out.”

Rhoads also told the board the ASB will be having a coin drive between the classes at the high school between Monday, Nov. 1 and Friday, Nov. 5. All proceeds from the coin drive will benefit the US Armed Forces Legacy Park Project and the class winners will present the check at the Veterans Assembly on Wednesday, Nov. 10.

During this meeting, the board voted to support Resolution #10/11-1 “to support the Network for Excellence in Washington Schools (NEWS)”.

“Article IX, section 1 of the Washington Constitution mandates that it is the paramount duty of the State to make ample provision for the education of all children residing in our State and the State enacted House Bill 1209 (now RCW 28A.150.210(1)(4)) and adopted the State’s nine Essential Academic Learning Requirements (EALRs) to establish academic standards for all K12 students in the State’s public schools,” the resolution states. “The State has never determined, nor amply funded, the actual cost to school districts of providing all students a realistic or effective opportunity to become equipped with the knowledge and skills set forth in the State’s K12 academic standards and the State of Washington has long underfunded, and continues to underfund, this district’s provision of K12 education, requiring this district to rely upon local levies, bonds and other non-State funding to cover the costs of necessary education basics such as facilities, technology, textbooks or student transportation.”

For the cost of $1 per student, roughly $1,000, the district will be supporting NEWS in their effort to fight against the state’s appeal of the ruling last year which requires them to fully fund basic education.

“We do need to support this and hopefully win the appeal,” Paul Turner, superintendent, said. “It’s not right, but it is what it is and I recommend the board show some solidarity and support this.”

Turner announced the school district has met the minimum basic education requirement compliance standards for kindergarten minimum 180-day school year, kindergarten total instructional hour offering, grades one and above minimum 180 day school year, grades one through 12 total instructional hour offering, kindergarten through third and fourth grade through 12th grade students to classroom teacher ratio and the state high school graduation minimum requirements.

Finally, the school district’s transportation department passed the Washington State Patrol school bus inspection once again this year.

The next school board meeting is on Monday, Nov. 8 at 7 p.m. in the district boardroom.