MLSD sets goals for new school year

Board to adopt budget, decide on next step for long-range planning in August

MOSES LAKE — After having its annual retreat Sunday, the Moses Lake School Board is one step closer to planning ahead for the 2005-2006 school year.

With a projected budget of $55 million and an increase of 140 more students expected to enroll this fall, the district is also facing a tighter budget than it has seen in recent years.

Due to a $2.5 million increase in fringe benefits, administration officials know they will have to look much closer at any new or unexpected costs that might arise.

With the increase in student enrollment, the district will also add six certified staff to accommodate them, bringing the district's total to 429 teachers.

Steve Chestnut, the superintendent for the Moses Lake School District, said the biggest challenges the district faces are preparing the class of 2008 to pass the Washington Assessment of Student Learning and expanding current facilities to meet continuing shortages of space.

Starting in 2008, all students will be required to pass the WASL to graduate from high school.

"We've still improved, but we still have a long way to go," Chestnut said of the district's WASL scores.

WASL scores from the district just in the last two years show increases in test scores in all three areas of reading, writing and math.

Some of the highest gains were seen in fourth-grade writing with 53.7 percent passing in the 2003-2004 school year compared to 38.6 percent passing the year before.

Chestnut said the district's goal is to get 90 percent of students meeting or exceeding the WASL standards at individual grade levels by 2010.

"It's time to raise the bar a little bit," he said.

As for starting any new capital projects to increase space, the district will decide next month whether to proceed with the 20-year long-range facility plan this fall or to wait until the following school year.

No specific facility add-ons or renovations are planned at this time, Chestnut said.

The last series of major capital projects the district had completed were in 1994 after a $30 million bond passed the year before.

Fifty million dollars in state matching funds further contributed towards the costs of the renovation projects which included remodels of 11 of the district's 12 schools, the construction of Columbia Basin Secondary School, installation of a pool at Moses Lake High School and the purchase of 14 portable classrooms.

Ongoing goals in the district's five year strategic plan though 2010 include striving to be in the top percent of school districts across the state in terms of test scores and opportunities available to students; improving student attendance and transitional programs for students between elementary to middle school and middle school to high school.

Other highlights from the retreat included continuing to strengthen relationships among the district, city of Moses Lake, county and stage agencies.

"I think we've made progress there," Chestnut said.

Special Assistant to the Superintendent P.J. De Benedetti said he thought the retreat was successful and provided a good opportunity to refocus the district's long- and short-term goals.

"Our focus is pretty consistent: to educate kids," De Benedetti said.

Two positions on the MLSD board are open for applicants to apply.

The deadline to file for those positions is July 30.