School Board Signs Most District Contracts

Business Manager Reports Healthy Budget

By Margie Doyle

At the regular meeting of the Orcas Island School District (OISD) on June 27, the school board of directors  formally approved contracts to hire Liz LeRoy, Owner of  Alliance Construction Management, as Project Manager of of the School Modernization projects ($7,990,656 project budget);  and to engage Timberline Construction, owned by Norm Flint, for improvements to Waldron School ($259,772.95 bid)

The board deferred until its July meeting approval of Superintendent Barbara Kline’s contract, at annual cost of $125,000 (which includes a 25 percent benefit allocation). The board had approved new Middle School/High School Principal Kyle Freeman’s annual salary of $90,000 at its May 28 special meeting, after OISD board director Scott Lancaster committed to developing a salary schedule to mark steps in salary increases; director Janet Brownell thanked Freeman for “hanging in there, and for being an immeasurable asset to the district. OISD Board Chair Chris Sutton noted that $93,000 was “the bottom of the barrel [of MS/HS principals’ salaries statewide] … and [Freeman] was not a bottom of the barrel employee.”

Sutton, Brownell and Lancaster approved Freeman’s annual contract. Board directors Tony Ghazel and Jim Sullivan opposed the vote to contract with Freeman at the $90,000 annual figure, saying that other district staff are struggling without raises and facing cuts to their salaries.

At its regular May 23 board meeting, the board had approved hiring Kathryn Page as the new Elementary Principal at $118,759 annual salary, including a 25 percent benefit allocation. At that meeting, Freeman’s proposed salary was $116,250, including benefits.

Darren Dix will assume duties of Music Teacher. In addition to Band, he will teach middle school exploratory and in OASIS K12. His annual salary is about $40,000 and includes a 35 percent benefit allocation. Dix is a recent graduate of Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma.

During the public comment session Pierrette Guimond asked where the funding for the three administrative positions would come from; Chair Chris Sutton responded that the district’s financial situation was “looking better,” and that funding for music, library and sports, as well as the administrators was coming out of the [general] budget.”

Also during public comments, Justin Paulson requested that the board consider increasing the district’s maintenance and custodial allocation. He added, “We’re already probably half-funded where we need to be for custodial and maintenance [hours].”

Business Manager Keith Whitaker said that the district is “ahead of projections and on track for ending with the estimated fund balance — plus.” The ending fund balance for 2012-13 is projected at $275,388, or about 3.6 percent. (The Board’s target is 5.75 percent or approximately $425,000)

Whitaker also pointed out that currently, the District had spent 95.49 percent of the budget as compared to expenditures of  104.48 percent last year at this time. That “represents about $600,000 difference,” he said.

In other board business, Mahlum architect David  Mount presented the Value Analysis overview, to “provide an independent, impartial project review” by a team. This review is required by the State for matching funds, and is “an organized creative process which examines the proposed project and identifies alternatives to optimize cost and performance and assure compliance with project requirements.”

The review identified risks in the existing roofs, Heating-Ventilation-Air Conditioning (HVAC) system supports and underground piping.

Project Manager Liz LeRoy presented the schedule for the Modernization project, noting that funding applications are currently underway; the OISD board will be taking actions beginning in July 2013 and into 2014; bidding for project elements will begin in 2014.

Later this summer, a modular building obtained by Superintendent Kline from the University of Washington at no cost beyond moving it to the OISD campus, will be placed behind the current Administration building north of the school’s historic maple tree.

The board approved transfer of about $10,000 from the debt service fund to the transportation fund. Those funds will go towards the purchase of a new school bus.

Among other reports, Superintendent Kline said that the OISD’s Alternative Learning Education (ALE) program, OASIS K-12, had been recommended for full accreditation. The process has been “a lot of work, but very satisfying; the parents and teachers have been incredible.”

Kline said it looked as if “OASIS may be given a reprieve by legislators;  “that is the message that we got.” (On Friday, June 28, the Washington State Legislature passed an operating budget.

OISD Director Tony Ghazel reported from his work in Olympia that the legislature “pledged to give $1 billion to education by 2018. As the public and as the OISD, we need to keep that pledge in the front of their minds.”