The Centralia City School Board of Education reviewed and adopted the annual budget. The budget committee reported that the 2021-2022 fiscal year resembles the previous year, with an expected surplus. The treasurer’s report noted that expenditures were high for the month of September, with most of the spending
being funded by ESSER grants and paying for new equipment and resources for schools. The report also called attention to the monthly energy bill for Centralia
Junior High School, noting that energy demand for the school was half that of September 2020, due in large part to the installation of solar panels in the time
since.
The curriculum report stated that coaches from the Urban Learning and Leadership Center have been providing valuable support to teachers and paraprofessionals in the district, helping new teachers get acclimated to their positions and helping to keep students organized during a busy month of returning to school.
Centralia City schools have conducted iReady testing to assess students in different subjects, giving teachers an understanding of the different levels of preparedness between students following the difficult 2020-2021 school year. Based on the results of the assessments, students will be grouped and given different sets of work to best meet their educational needs.
There were several new hirings, including the new paid positions of Robotics Coach and Assistant Robotics Coach, reflecting the growing interest in extracurricular robotics at the junior high. The hiring of a new SOAR teacher fills the vacancy left by the previous teacher’s retirement last year and will allow the school’s gifted student program to resume normal activities.
Resignations: Victoria Ruggeri, Speech Language Pathologist. Alaina Pryor, Individual Paraprofessional.
New hires: Crystal Ashby, Speech Language Pathologist. Charles Cannon, Central School custodian. Sara Brashear, Individual Paraprofessional. Robin Haake,
Individual Paraprofessional. Karen Zettler, Individual Paraprofessional., Michael Cooley, Robotics Coach, Trace Whithaus, Assistant Robotics Coach and Mike Morris, SOAR teacher.
Intent to retire: Mike Kusturin, effective September 10, 2021. Jack Zvonar, effective end of 2024-2025 school year. Ryan White, effective end of 2024-2025
school year. Sheri Thomason, effective end of 2024-2025 school year. Stephanie Sachtleben, effective end of 2021-2022 school year.
