Othello School Board hires 3 new principals recently
Cheryl Schweizer <Staff Writer> | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 8 years, 8 months AGO
Cheryl Schweizer/Columbia Basin Herald - Jennifer Perez, newly-hired principal at Lutacaga Elementary School, addresses the Othello School Board at Monday's meeting.
OTHELLO — Othello School Board members approved the hiring of three new principals for the 2017-18 school year at the regular meeting Monday.
The board only had a quorum for part of the meeting, but that part included hiring Brooke French as the principal of McFarland Middle School for the next school year, Jennifer Perez at Lutacaga Elementary and Amy Kohn at Wahitis Elementary.
All three women thanked the board for the opportunity. “I am honored and very, very, excited,” French said. “I’ve been on cloud nine for a bit,” Perez said. Kohn said she was looking forward to being part of the process of educating students in Othello.
While the board couldn’t take action, board members Rob Simmons and Stewart Hilmes discussed the ongoing project for new tennis courts at Othello High School.
The tennis courts originally were scheduled to be built last summer. Assistant superintendent Gina Bullis said the district’s architectural contractor is working a new bid with a revised project scope.
The revised bid will include four courts with an option for two additional courts, and another option for a concession stand. In answer to a question from Simmons, Bullis said there’s an option for lights.
Simmons said he’s been looking at tennis courts at other schools, and asking administrators in those districts about their projects. The layout at one school led him to think Othello may not need lights. Administrators at another school said they got volunteer help from the community, which helped them cut costs, he said.
Simmons said he was asking because he wasn’t sure the board was being clear about the scope of the project. Clarity from the board seemed to help when district officials were soliciting bids to repair the football field, he said.
ARTICLES BY CHERYL SCHWEIZER <STAFF WRITER>
Othello School Board approves property purchase
OTHELLO — The Othello School Board has approved an agreement to purchase 81.14 acres of land along 14th Street and Lee Road. The district will pay $2.4 million to the current owner, Terra Gold Farms. The draft agreement was approved during the regular board meeting Monday. The land is located at Lee Road between Seventh and 14th streets. Assistant superintendent Gina Bullis said there are no plans to build on the property now, but district officials plan to keep it as a site for any additional schools. The sale should be completed by the end of January. In other business, a discussion of a site visit to Wahitis Elementary prompted questions about traffic on 14th Street. Construction closed part of 14th Street during the spring, summer and fall, including the stretch in front of Wahitis Elementary. Prior to construction the road had a four-way stop outside Scootney Springs Elementary, but the stop signs were removed during construction and haven’t been replaced. Board member Juan Garza said he had received inquiries about the stop signs, and whether they would be reinstalled. “It sounds to me like they (the stop sign removals) are permanent, right? It’s going to stay that way.” Bullis said she had received inquiries too, and had asked city officials about them, including a question at the Othello City Council meeting earlier Monday evening. City manager Wade Faris told her, Bullis said, the city wasn’t required to reinstall them. The original purpose was to eliminate some of the congestion on 14th, Cemetery and Ash streets when kids and parents were coming and going from Scootney Springs. City officials think the extra lanes will accommodate any congestion, she said. Board member Mike Garza said the stop signs were installed as the result of a traffic study conducted by the district at the city’s request. He asked if the city had done an additional traffic study prior to removal. Bullis said city officials didn’t give a reason for the change. Mike Garza also asked if city officials planned to paint crosswalks across 14th Street at Wahitis Elementary. “I noticed there are no crosswalk designations across 14th” at the school, he said. Bullis said she would ask city officials.
Othello School District land purchase moves ahead
OTHELLO — The Othello School Board is scheduled to review a draft purchase and sale agreement for 78 acres of property along Lee Road at its Oct. 10 meeting.
Othello School Board discusses 14th Street with city officials
OTHELLO — Traffic, traffic flow and pedestrian safety, especially for elementary students, were the subjects of a lengthy discussion at the Othello School Board meeting Monday.