Serving Whitman County since 1877
Serving Whitman County since 1877
The Colfax School board met Monday night for its regular twice-per-month meeting and fielded items such as a transfer/home school report.
Superintendent Jerry Pugh opened the meeting with comments, noting a district levy committee meeting would be Tuesday night, run by volunteer Wes Claussen, for the district's regular two-year enrichment maintenance and operations levy. The board would need to approve and file to hold the levy by Dec. 13.
Next at the meeting was a school construction update, as crews continue work on both floors of the junior-senior high school and the Jennings Elementary gym.
“Zone one and two are substantially complete,” said Pugh, adding that a punch list is next. Zone one and two includes the junior-senior high school's main foyer, first floor hallways, junior high commons, STEM lab, maintenance area and on the second floor, band room, high school commons, classrooms and more.
All the while, work on zone three is back on; the auditorium, which has had an electrical rough-in with sheet rock next.
“Zone three is the priority now,” Pugh said.
The superintendent has also begun work to compile district materials for the five-year OSPI (Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction) consolidated review of state and federal grants. The due date for materials is Feb. 13. Pugh was not yet in Colfax during the last review, done under former superintendent Michael Morgan.
The materials this time, will be uploaded digitally instead of sent in by hard copy.
“Hopefully it'll be a quicker process,” said Pugh.
The board then approved the hiring of Rebekah Schaefer as para-educator for six hours per day. A former substitute teacher in the district the past two years, she and her husband have two children at Jennings Elementary.
Choice transfers/home school numbers
Continuing with Monday night's meeting, Pugh presented the annual report on the district's “choice transfer” students and home school students.
Choice transfers mean kids who live in the district, but by parents' choice, attend school elsewhere, or vice versa. For 2019-20, a total of 18 students are choosing in to Colfax while 81 choose out.
Parents are asked to select from one or more of 12 reason codes for why they choose to transfer kids out or in.
For choosing in, the most common codes were: attendance in nonresident district is more accessible to the parent/guardian's place of work; parent/guardian is an employee of the requested school district, and student's educational condition would likely be improved.
Most common choosing out of the district reasons cited include student's educational condition would likely be improved and attendance in the nonresident district is more accessible to the parent/guardian's place of work.
For home school, the district count is 29 students.
Pugh indicated this year's number of home school and choice transfer students is “about the same” in the five years he has been here.
“We continue to have conversations with people when we can,” he said.
He explained further, saying that he asks those who choose to go outside if they have done their research, gone to the OSPI website, etc. to “make an informed decision like you would a mechanic or a doctor. I don't fault their reasons, I don't judge their reasons. There is a variety. We're happy to listen and talk it through.”
Garth Meyer is a former Whitman County Gazette reporter.
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