By Austin Williams
The Centralia High School Board held a Truth in Taxation hearing before it met this week. There was no one in attendance to object to the 5.99 percent increase in the levy over collections on this year’s property tax bill.
According to Superintendent Chuck Lane, taxpayers can expect a lower tax rate regardless of the levy thanks to the district’s bond payment decreasing.
“Our bond payment is going down almost seventy-seven percent next year. When you add that in, even with this levy at 5.99, our overall ask of the public is going down almost nine percent… right now we’re at about two dollars and thirty-eight cents per one hundred, once those taxes are off of there it’ll be almost under two dollars.”
The Centralia High School Board heard an extended presentation by GeoSurfaces about a possible artificial turf installation for the football field. No decision was made, but there was an overall positive initial reception to the no-infill turf on display.
Principal Reid Shipley expressed a preference for the no-infill turf, a recent technology, over older forms of turf containing rubber and sand infill, as it provided a more consistent surface comparable to the school’s current grass.
“With the grass we have now, I was thinking ‘Why would we want to go to this stuff,’ until I saw the stuff they brought. We went down and walked on it… if we’re going to do it, this is as close as we have to what we’re playing on now.”
A piece of the artificial turf is displayed at the Centralia High School Board meeting. Photo by Austin Williams.
The board discussed the implementation of metal detectors at the entrances of Centralia High School. According to Shipley, the transition process has had hiccups but is coming along as the school adjusts the sensitivity of the metal detectors and the process of admitting students to the school.
“The goal is not to catch every cell phone, every key ring, every single item a kid has in his pocket… we’re just looking for the thicker major items such as weapons, of course… The first couple days were rough, but after that, (students) have started figuring out what to get out and get ready to get through… We told them from day one, being late to a metal detector is not a reason for a tardy, get up five minutes earlier. Same with COVID, we went through the same thing.”
The next CHS board meeting is scheduled for Monday, January 29.
Employment:
- Ryan Miller as assistant baseball coach
- Doug Lambert as a security guard
Resignation:
- Dawson Berry as assistant baseball coach
