Serving Whitman County since 1877
Serving Whitman County since 1877
Colfax school board greets new member
The Colfax School board met Monday night for its regular meeting and first swore in a new member, Wayne Gregory, to replace David Nails for District Two.
Superintendent Jerry Pugh reported on a two-day trip to Olympia last week to meet with legislators. He and Jake Dingman, Oakesdale superintendent, and Calvin Johnson, Palouse Supt., met with representatives Mark Schoesler, Joe Schmick and Mary Dye, focusing on the School Employees Benefits Board Program (SEBB).
“To tax the district when people opt out, that's costing our district about $9,000 a month,” Pugh said.
He then showed the board a KLEW-TV news report of the ongoing Colfax school construction and remodeling.
“The boys did win tonight, by the way,” he said, regarding the Colfax basketball team in the opening round of the Northeast 2B district playoffs.
Also Monday, the board approved the hiring of Michael Heitstuman as golf coach and Joey Reed, junior high assistant volleyball coach.
In further action, Pugh briefed the board on policy to consider regarding Paid Family and Medical Leave, a new benefit which makes for 12 weeks paid leave available from the state and 12 weeks from the federal government.
“You can have 24 weeks,” Pugh said.
He explained more of the rules, noting that leave for the birth of a child, for example, can be taken within one year of the birth, men or women, on a 30-day notice.
“It is complex,” Pugh said of further details of the law.
Near the end of the meeting, the board also confirmed a new date for their March meeting, to be Thursday, March 12, at the junior-senior high school library.
“We may be in the new community room (by then),” said Pugh.
Garth Meyer is a former Whitman County Gazette reporter.
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