By: Austin Williams, WJBD Staff Reporter
The Centralia City School Board accepted the annual audit report at its meeting on Tuesday. The audit, conducted by Glass and Shuffet, shows the district in good financial shape. The audit places the district comfortably in the Recognition category with a financial profile score of 3.9 out of a possible 4. This score is an improvement over previous years, and board members expressed satisfaction with the district’s current financial status.
In the curriculum report, Chris Becker said that instructional coaches are working well with newly hired teachers in the classroom. These coaches have been hired by the district to work with teachers in class and lesson planning and have provided valuable help, according to the board. The district currently pays these coaches with funding from the federal COVID relief money, and Superintendent Craig Clark expressed hope that the district will continue to utilize these coaches going forward by working them into the regular budget.
The board also discussed an increase in students who qualify as English Learners, students for whom English is a non-native language. There are 27 such students in the district this year, a significant increase over past years which each saw only a handful. Schools in the district have working to accommodate these students so far with the help of multilingual faculty and technology on hand, but the board has begun looking into long-term solutions to help local students faced with a language barrier. Clark believes that the district should be prepared for a high number of English Learners in the years ahead.
New Hires:
· Mary Hinkel as Schiller Individual Paraprofessional
· Dray Sodsaikitch as Schiller Individual Paraprofessional
· Tammy Urshan as half-day Schiller Individual Paraprofessional
· Iana Watson as Individual Paraprofessional at Jordan School
Resignation:
· Angie Edson as Girls’ Volleyball Coach
Retirement:
· Intent to Retire letter from Craig Bland at the end of the 2027-28 school year
