Colfax school board approves $900,000 two-year levy request

Garth Meyer, Gazette Reporter | Nov 28, 20190

The Colfax school board Monday approved a two-year maintenance and operations levy which will go before district voters in February.

The levy for 2021 and 2022 would collect $900,000 per year. The board approved the number Monday night after a volunteer committee decided on it in two meetings this fall with input from Superintendent Jerry Pugh and Business Manager Reece Jenkin.

The estimated levy rate would be $1.97 per thousand dollars of assessed property valuation in 2021 and $1.91 per thousand in 2022.

Committee members Bob Lothspiech, a more than 30-year veteran of Colfax school levy committees, and Wes Claassen, current committee chairman, were at the board session Monday.

Claassen told the board of the group's thinking, in four points.

First, he noted the uncertainty of state school funding, coming off the fluctuating $1.50 per thousand levy limit to the new $2.50 per limit, not to mention other funding unknowns related to the McCleary court decision and its aftermath.

Claassen then talked about unfunded mandates for schools, including a new requirement for districts to pay full medical benefits to qualifying part-time employees.

“At a cost of $1,000 per month,” Claassen said.

His third point was so the current $18.9 million construction bond “finishes strongly.”

He mentioned keeping reserves up to avoid taking a hit if the construction goes over budget.

“Education shouldn't suffer, and the building should be finished,” Claassen said.

On the fourth point, he cited “the passion of the administration” on increasing electives in junior high to add fine arts without hiring more staff.

Lothspiech added a comment.

“The community has supported us on the (construction) bond,” he said. “That's the infrastructure. We need to maintain what's inside of it.”

School board member Brian Becker made a motion to approve the levy at the $900,000 two-year rate. David Nails seconded it and it passed unanimously.

Levy committee members include Claassen, Lothspiech, Mark Clinton, Chad Maki and new members Aaron Lawhead and Craig Cox.

The current two-year levy, for 2019 and 2020, of up to $750,000 for each year, was voted on during a state-limit of $1.50 per thousand. A year after passing, the state adjusted that to allow for up to $2.50 per thousand.

“We don't need to do that,” Claassen said.“We'll be very close to where we were before the $1.50 levy limit.”

The committee came up with the $900,000 number on its own.

“We were not asked for this number,” Claassen said. “We are going to protect the school's reserves.”

So what if it was not the time of a construction bond, would the levy be less?

“No, because we'd still be spending that money on leaking roofs and other things,” Claassen said.

Pugh confirmed that electives are an ongoing focus.

“We're taking a good hard look at what our electives look like,” he said Tuesday. “We want them to be high quality and rigorous.”

Further school board report

School board ASB representative Cotton Booker, a senior at the high school, reported on the pending start of the winter sports season, with boys basketball opening against Pomeroy Dec. 6 and the Colfax girls playing Colton Dec. 3.

He told the board of results of the ASB blood drive, which brought 33 donors, for 36 units of blood. ASB representatives also went to Rosauers last week and sold 130 meals for Tom's Turkey Drive.

WSSDA conference

After further board business, President Jennifer Hauser gave comments about her experience at the annual WSSDA (Washington State School Directors Association) conference in Bellevue Nov. 21-24.

“The big push was keeping contact with kids,” Hauser said. “Technology, as much good as it can do, hinders relationships between students, and students and teachers. We need that eye-to-eye contact...”

She then made a challenge to the board, that each member attend the conference next year.

“Aside from what we learn, it's a regrouping of the board,” she said.

Earlier in the meeting, Superintendent Pugh also spoke about the trip, which new board member Erica Anderson also took part in.

“I enjoyed being with both of them. It's extremely worthwhile when I have a trapped audience in a car for five hours,” Pugh said with a smile.

Construction update

Pugh told the board that seven contractors were at work in the auditorium Monday at the junior/senior high school. The balcony is next to be painted, with lights, rigging and chains in place for the stage and the sound system. Pugh reported that a technician from Evco Sound and Electronics of Spokane will sit in during the spring musical production.

Elsewhere in the building, the STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art and math) room is nearly complete.

“Mr. Heitstuman will then evacuate his classroom,” Pugh said. Heitstuman's ag sciences classes will be in the STEAM room while construction crews move to the ag building.

On the west side of the junior-senior high school, work is underway on four classrooms on the second floor and three on the first.

David Nails' last official meeting

David Nails, a six-year school board member, attended his final official meeting. He will vacate his position because he moved out of the director district he was elected to represent.

“How grateful I am for the trust you had in me, to let me cut my teeth as a superintendent in Colfax,” said Pugh, who was hired by the board which included Nails. “It's certainly been more fulfilling than I ever thought.”

Nails and 12-year board member Rob Smith will both leave the board at the end of the year. Smith did not run for re-election. For his seat, Erica Anderson will be sworn in at the next board meeting Dec. 23.

For Nails' seat, a new representative was set to be appointed by the board, but it turned out the nominee also did not live in the director district.

The position will be posted again for applications.