Centralia High School will seek bids for a project to repair and maintain sidewalks around the school building using Health and Life Safety funding. The school had previously received and planned to accept a bid for work on both the sidewalk and the parking lot, but Superintendent Chuck Lane reported at Thursday night’s school board meeting that a state official had determined that the parking lot in its current condition does not meet standards for work to be done using Health and Life Safety money. Therefore, the project will be rebid with just the sidewalk portion. Once a bid is accepted, the work is expected to be completed over the summer.
After seeking alternatives for health insurance, the school district will continue to receive its insurance through the Egyptian Trust. After reviewing the alternatives, Lane said the Egyptian Trust still offers the best available plan for the district. The trust will have a 4% rate increase this year, which several board members said they were happy with given previous concerns that the increase would be higher.
Centralia High School has several important dates coming up as the end of the school year approaches: This year’s May Fete is Thursday, May 7 and Friday, May 8. Graduation is May 17 at 2 p.m., with 184 graduates planned to walk in the ceremony. May 21 is the last day of attendance for freshmen through juniors taking exams, and May 22 is teacher checkout.
In personnel, the school board accepted a letter of retirement from special education teacher Kathi See and letters of resignation from part-time cafeteria workers Donna Annable and Shannah Marcum.
The board approved the hiring of John Hansen as technology specialist, Scott Nelson as part-time custodian, Jenna Wagner as assistant girls’ track coach, and Chelsie Dunahee as part-time cafeteria worker.
