Dozens of recent registrations have pushed total enrollment at Centralia City Schools over the 1,000-student mark, District Superintendent Christina Becker reported at Tuesday night’s school board meeting.
According to school officials, enrollment stood at 952 on the sixth day of the new school year. However, a number of late registrations had increased that figure to 1,004 as of Tuesday, which Becker says marks a very slight increase from last year’s enrollment.
Becker notes that six more registration packets were also picked up on Tuesday, and she says school officials expect that the enrollment figure will fluctuate slightly in the coming days.
Also on Tuesday, the City Schools Board approved a 2026-2027 fiscal year budget, which Becker says is largely unchanged from the tentative budget that was approved in August. The 2026-2027 budget carries a projected deficit of approximately $2.4 million, which school officials attribute in large part to reductions in grant funding and reimbursements.
The board approved a number of personnel items, including acceptance of an intent to retire letter from Michelle Witzel, effective at the end of the 2029-2030 school year.
Board members also approved the transfer of Alicia Lewis to Floating Individual Paraprofessional, Dawn Diekemper to Central Middle School paraprofessional, and Alicia Morgan to Special Education teacher at Central Middle School and Jordan Elementary School.
The board also approved the hiring of D’Aaron Owens as eighth grade boys’ basketball coach, Michelle Stedelin-Rommelmann as Home Bound teacher, and Nancy Bowlby and Montie Graham as bus monitors.
