QVSD Board Briefs – Dec. 13 and Dec. 20, 2016Replacement Maintenance and Operation Levy

December 28, 2016 10:30 am
The new Spartan A Cappella Singers (SASS) group made its debut at the Winter concert at the FHS Commons! Submitted Photo
The new Spartan A Cappella Singers (SASS) group made its debut at the Winter concert at the FHS Commons! Submitted Photo

By Diana Reaume

On Dec. 13, 2016, the Quillayute Valley School District held a special board meeting to discuss the upcoming Replacement Maintenance and Operation Levy. The board members unanimously approved a four-year replacement levy measure for the Special Election ballot on Feb. 14, 2017.

The current four-year levy will expire on Dec. 31, 2017. This levy is not new; it replaces the expiring levy. It pays for routine maintenance items, minor repairs, extra-curricular activities, personnel and educational programs not funded by the state.

Recurring costs that will continue to be funded are: maintenance painting and cleaning supplies; transportation, custodial, and kitchen equipment; athletics (including coaches’ salaries, student travel and uniforms, referees); music and drama programs; unfunded mandates (curriculum and teaching textbooks and testing materials); technology (computers, software, hardware and firewall); student field trips; minor repairs to facilities (roofing and heating systems).

Some of the major items planned for over the four-year period and based on a needs assessment from staff members are: roof repairs for the elementary school, intermediate school, alternative school and district office; purchasing of additional computers (Chromebooks) for student use and additional interactive displays for classroom teachers; upgrades for the Forks Elementary School gym (walls and flooring); replacement of Aux Gym (old/new gym) siding and locker room modernization; Forks High School Commons updates (lighting and stage equipment); Forks Elementary School new playground and play-shed repairs; transportation wash rack for buses and fleet; classroom furniture for elementary, intermediate, and junior high schools; Forks High School Spartan gym speaker system; and dust collector upgrade at the junior high school.

The Replacement Maintenance and Operation Levy would collect $714,304 of taxes annually. This collection level provides the district with the maximum match from the state at $3,188,144. The total amount of funding per year (local tax collection of $714,304 plus state matching of $3,188,144) equals $3,902,448.

The grand total over the four years to support OUR STUDENTS, educational programs and our staff equates to $15,609,792. This modest rate of tax collection is estimated at $1.48 per $1,000 of assessed value. For a $100,000 valued home, this amounts to $148 a year.

The QVSD board of directors also held its regularly scheduled meeting on Dec. 20. Some of the highlights of this meeting include:

• Approval of consent agenda items.

• Approval of a new Associated Student Body Club, Spartan A Cappella Singers (SASS). Forks High School Band director Megan Sanger is the advisor for this group of Forks High School students. This new organization will promote the arts, will instill leadership skills and provide a variety of opportunities for student performance. Students in this group recently performed at the Annual Winter Music Concert on Dec. 14.

• Approval of Carol Justus to complete her student teaching under the supervision of Kirsten McCracken, sixth-grade Language Arts teacher.

• Approval of bills and November payroll.

• Approval of the Forks Education Association Collective Bargaining Agreement for 2016-2019.

Board member reports included: Gov. Jay Inslee’s proposed budget and increase in K-12 funding with tax reform for B&O and Carbon taxes; athletic events and how well our students are performing (basketball and wrestling); kudos to the FHS Pep Band for playing at our basketball games; discussion about future work based on recent learning at the Washington State School Directors Association conference in Spokane.

The QVSD Board of Directors welcomes the public to come and join our meetings on the second and fourth Tuesday of every month at 6 p.m. in the Forks High School library. They will hold their next regular scheduled meeting at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 10, in the Forks High School library. The board of directors will have a discussion on several items they would like to focus on in addition to student learning for the upcoming year. We will celebrate School Board Appreciation on Jan. 24.