Othello School Board approves 2016-17 budget

OTHELLO — Othello School District officials approved the budget for 2016-17 at a special meeting this week.

The budget includes a $48,552,376 general fund. The general fund pays for most school operation, including salaries, supplies and school operation. The capital projects fund, which pays for construction projects, was budgeted at $3,440,000. The debt service fund pays back bonds issued for previous construction projects and was budgeted at $2,352,782. The Associated Student Body fund was budgeted at $457,100, and the transportation vehicle fund, which pays for new buses, was $275,000.

The board also approved a new, two-year master agreement with the Othello Education Association (the union representing teachers) and a new agreement with the Public School Employees, the union representing classified staff.

The board approved new contracts with the administrative staff at its regular meeting Monday and considered a new agreement with the district's coaches. In other business, board members received a report on the district's dual-language program at McFarland Middle School.

Dual-language instruction in Othello means classes in English and Spanish for all students in the program. District officials are working on a dual-language program at Lutacaga Elementary, with the goal of providing dual-language instruction to some students through high school.

Assistant Superintendent Pete Perez said the program at the middle school and Othello High School will grow as the program at Lutacaga grows, and that eventually about 25 percent of the middle school's student body will be in the dual language program. But right now there are few resources available for dual-language instruction, Perez said.

At the sixth grade level there's a lack of Spanish-language books and materials, and Othello teachers are translating some of their own materials, Perez said.

Currently there's no dual-language instruction in math and science.

District officials are looking at various solutions, including more materials for students in Spanish and teachers and extra training for teachers.

Hiawatha Elementary principal John Wiseman presented some information about the school following a site visit from the board.

Board members are visiting each school in the district during the school year, spending time talking to teachers, students and parents Sept. 6. Hiawatha's test data for 2015-16 has been released, and the school didn't meet the district or state standard in language arts or math. There were some bright spots, he said - fourth- and fifth-grade students showed improvement over the previous year.