Serving Whitman County since 1877
Serving Whitman County since 1877
The Colfax School board met Monday night for its regular bi- weekly meeting and took in updated policies to consider, listened to a speech by an FFA state competitor and heard the student ASB report from representative Kylie Kackman.
Superintendent Jerry Pugh opened the meeting with comments on school construction, which completed its first week over spring break.
“The library is almost completely gutted, Mrs. Bogle’s kitchen is gutted,” Pugh said. “The hallways are a little bit narrow up there.”
He then filled the board in on the wind damage – and subsequent repairs – at the track over the weekend and confirmed board plans to attend a regional Washington State School Directors’ Association meeting in Palouse on May 1.
Cole Baerlocher, Colfax High junior and FFA treasurer, stood up and gave his speech on the National Farm to School Network. The board followed with questions.
Baerlocher will compete with the speech at the Washington state FFA convention May 9-11 in Pullman.
Next, Kackman gave her ASB report, limited by coming off spring break and rain in sports.
“Softball is basically canceled for the year,” she said.
Pugh then introduced a list of WSSDA policies for potential update, one of which is on the use of tobacco, nicotine products and delivery devices.
“Vapor products,” Pugh said. “It is an issue. It’s a huge issue.”
He noted the decline in tobacco use among students over the past decade-plus.
“Vaping has turned that completely around. I don’t know a district that isn’t dealing with this.”
The school bans tobacco use anywhere on school grounds, by students, staff or visitors.
“I don’t think we have any staff that smoke, but if they want to get in their car on their lunch break, as long as they get 500 feet away,” Pugh said.
The board concluded the meeting with Terry Huber leading a discussion of chapter four of “Wait? What? And Life’s Other Essential Questions” by James E. Ryan (HarperCollins, 2017.)
Ryan is the dean of Harvard’s Graduate School of Education. The board is reading his book.
The board will meet again April 22 at 7 p.m. in the district office, following a work session at 6:30 p.m.
Garth Meyer is a former Whitman County Gazette reporter.
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