EPHRATA — The Ephrata School Board met for their Sept. 23 board meeting to introduce new staff, discuss new facilities purchases, update on the effectiveness of cell phone boxes, discuss the budget and at the end of the meeting, Board Chair Anita Waller announced she will be leaving at the end of 2024.

Waller resignation 

Waller has served on the board for six years and her term was set to end at the end of 2025 but during the Monday board meeting she announced that she will leave at the end of 2024.

“Most of you are aware that I took a full-time job a year ago, very busy, and I don't feel that I can do this job the way it should be done, not (at) least according to my standards.” Waller said. “So, I'm announcing that I will step down at the end of the year. I will fulfill my duties as the chair through the calendar year.” 

After her exit, the remaining board members will need to appoint someone. 

Budget 

Director of Business and Finance Allison Razey gave the August 2024 budget update during the meeting focusing on the 2023-24 school year; however, the finalized budget for the prior school year will be finalized in November. She gave the presentation to ensure new board members were informed regarding the prior year’s finances. There are still grants and expenditures factored in before the final budget is presented.

All the following statistics are from Razey’s August budget report.

The budgeted enrollment was established at 2,545 students, but the average was 2,614.24 learners. School districts try to budget lower to provide a budgeting cushion in case enrollment is less than expected, Razey said. 

The school district has completed its fiscal year, reporting total revenues at 98.03% of the budgeted amount. While revenues fell short, the district had planned for a possible shortfall, Razey said.

Property tax revenue contributed significantly, with the district receiving more than $2 million, or 99.65% of the budgeted figure. Year-to-date expenditures totaled 95.65% of the budget, with encumbered purchase orders bringing the figure to 95.62%. The district's ending fund balance is in good standing, surpassing the minimum policy requirement of about $3.4 million, which constitutes 7% of the total budgeted expenditures.  

Components of the fund balance include slightly more than $405,000 restricted for carryover, just less than $107,000 for debt service and roughly $5.5 million classified as unassigned.

In related reports, the district's Capital Projects Fund received about $772,000 in property tax revenue, while the Debt Service Fund reported roughly $2.3 million, both exceeding 98% of their respective budgeted amounts. Additionally, the Transportation Vehicle Fund garnered slightly less than $290,000 in property tax revenue and received a bit less than $505,000 in depreciation funds this month.  

Facilities 

The ESD approved three purchases for facilities including an asphalt quote for Ephrata Middle School, a new mower and a Grant Public Utility District Service Truck. 

The asphalt will go to the east of the kitchen at the middle school to cover up the trenches and work that was done during the remodel. The board approved the $62,300 asphalt project unanimously.  

“If you've been behind the middle school, even preconstruction, you know that the parking lot was falling apart, and then in the midst of construction, there was no plan to resolve that issue,” ESD Superintendent Ken Murray said.  

The ESD facilities team will oversee painting the parking lines after the project is complete.  

The second purchase is a LASTEC mower for more than $69,000 for the 60 acres of grass that is mowed weekly.  

“The other reason why I went with the LASTEC was that it is a kind of mower that a lot of golf courses are using,” Director of Transportation Adam Roduner said. “It should mow right around 9 acres an hour. So, we'll be able to get the job done efficiently and be able to get into some tighter areas that we can't really get right now.” 

The board passed the purchase of the new mower unanimously.  

The final purchase of the night regarded a Grant PUD service truck that is being surplussed that ESD facilities would like to bid on. The truck would be used for buses when they break down; it can hold tools and tow a bus if needed. The board approved bidding on the truck and set a cap at the maximum Roduner could offer. 

“I think just having two broken down buses over in the Seattle area, and that happened in a year, that already gives you that capacity at that level from the way I see it,” Roduner said. “Then you're not paying for a tow truck to take it to a mechanic shop on the west side, (because) then you are just kind of held hostage to their shop to fix it.” 

Cell lockers 

The high school and middle schools administrators gave updates on the effectiveness of the new cell phone boxes implemented at the beginning of the school year. For high school, students can use their phones during passing periods or lunch and at the middle school there is a full phone ban.  

In the high school, administrators sent out a survey with 50 responses from students and a full staff survey.  

New Ephrata High Principal Ashlie Miller said responses from teachers indicated a significant improvement in classrooms. Then, 89-93% of teachers said they saw a direct impact on academic, behavioral, social and emotional wellbeing among the student body.  

“The teachers are loving it," Miller said. “Anecdotally, they stated that they have way more time now in the classroom. So, one of the things they're noticing is that, before, they were having a plan for all of these constant interruptions and behavioral corrections. Now that they're not having to plan for that anymore, they have extra time. So, they have to kind of redo their lesson planning a little bit to get more in but that's good for us, because we can move faster through instruction, and we can get to more during the year, so it's really good.” 

Miller also said students, instead of breaking out their phones during downtime, are playing cards and engaging with peers.  

However, of the 50 students surveyed, 69.8% of students said they were unsatisfied with the new program. They also stated that there were neutral results on their academics, behavioral and social, emotional wellbeing.  

According to Miller, teachers are using the phone boxes as a form of attendance and the only issue they have had is figuring out the timing students need to grab their phones after an assembly.  

Then Ephrata Middle School assistant principal, Levi Spencer gave the presentation regarding the middle school. That campus did not do a survey; however, they have only had six phone violations this school year.  

“You walk down the hallways, you can go into classrooms, and you won't see (phones),” Spencer said. “People go outside. Kids aren't on electronics. They're doing other things. Look back to the olden days when we were in school. They're playing, they're socializing, they're even playing board games and interacting.” 

The print edition of this story quoted Anita Waller incorrectly. It has been corrected above.

    Waller