Moses Lake School Board to review skills center plans

MOSES LAKE - Moses Lake School Board members will hold a study session May 24 to get their first look at the scope of work for the new Grant County Skills Center.

The study session begins at 5 p.m. in the district boardroom, 1318 W. Ivy Ave., and is open to the public.

The Washington Legislature announced it was allocating $19.41 million to the project in April. The skills center will offer advanced training in a number of trades, from construction to culinary arts to robotics and engineering.

Students from nine schools, eight in Grant County and one in Adams County, will be allowed to enroll in classes. The building will be located on Moses Lake School District property on Yonezawa Boulevard.

The project is scheduled to go out to bid in June, and construction could begin as early as September.

District superintendent Michelle Price said the study session will focus on the scope of the project and the bid schedule.

In other business at the regular board meeting Thursday, the district's business and operations executive director Mark Johnson said enrollment dropped slightly in May. The average enrollment for the year is above budget projections at the high school and elementary schools, but is about 40 students below the budget projection at the middle schools. Johnson said district officials will be monitoring enrollment closely through the end of the school year.

Board members tentatively scheduled June 17 for interviews for the position of student representative to the school board.

Board member Vicki Groff expressed concern that in the past some student representatives have started by attending most meetings, but stopped coming regularly as other activities have claimed their attention. David Balcom, executive director for secondary education, said he's tried to impress on the candidates they have to take the job seriously.