Othello School Board hires new administrators

OTHELLO — Hiawatha Elementary will have a new principal for the 2017-18 school year. The Othello School Board approved the hiring of Heather Dyson as principal at its regular meeting Monday,

The board also approved the hiring of Debra Buduan as the assistant principal at Scootney Springs Elementary and Sandra Anderson as the assistant principal at Wahitis Elementary. Carlos Gonzalez was hired as the assistant principal at McFarland Middle School.

Board member Stewart Hilmes asked about the selection process for new administrators. Assistant superintendent Pete Perez said district officials formed a committee that included staff from each of the buildings that needed administrators. District officials also talked with parents who had kids in the building, as well as staff.

The committees reviewed the applications and were part of the interview process, Perez said. The committees narrowed the field down to two finalists. In the case of a new principal the finalists were given to district superintendent Chris Hurst, who made the selection. For assistant principals, the building principal made the choice.

In other business, board members discussed adding portables at the middle school. The new portables will be cited on the football field, which will require reorienting the field, although it still can be used for football.

McFarland’s student body is growing, and it’s projected to grow out of its existing space in 2017-18. Board members decided to buy two portables for the next school year, to house one class that wouldn’t fit in the main building as well as a class that otherwise would have to meet in the multipurpose room. City officials didn’t approve the original location proposed, across 10th Street from the main school building, said assistant superintendent Gina Bullis.

City officials cited the increased pedestrian traffic as kids walked back and forth, she said. They were also concerned with the need to lock down two sites in the case of an emergency.

The football field was the preferred alternative, Bullis said. There are other portables at McFarland, and board member Rob Simmons said district officials had resisted placing them on the football field in the past. He asked how much it would cost to move the existing portables to the football field.

Simmons asked at the April 25 meeting how much it would cost to remove gas pumps and an existing underground tank at Othello High School; the tank and pump complicating the siting of new tennis courts. Bullis said she did the research and it would cost about $20,000 to remove it.

Cheryl Schweizer can be reached via email at education@columbiabasinherald.com.