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Page A-2 Shelton-Mason County Journal Thursday, Aug. 13, 2020
Shelton schools propose $65.5-million budget
By Gordon Weéks
gordon@masoncounty. com
The Shelton School District is pro-
posing an almost $65.5 million budget
for the 2020-21 school year.
The school board can vote to adopt
the budget at its regular meeting at
6 p.m. Aug. 25. Everyone is invited
to comment on the document at the
meeting, which will be conducted via
Zoom. The proposed budget has been
sent to Educational Service District
113 for approval.
The Shelton School Board discussed
the proposed budget at its regular
meeting on Tuesday evening. The dis-
trict projects 4,125 students will start
learning from home on Sept. 2.
The proposed budget of $65,441,016
is $598,666 less than the 2019-20 bud~
get of $66,019,682.
Brenda Trogstad, the finance di-
rector for the Shelton School District,
said salaries and benefits account for
85.19 percent of the $65.5 million bud-
get, including:
I $28,012,882 for the salaries of'
certified staff, which includes teach-
ers, principals, librarians, counselors
and some district administrators.
I $11,430,015 for the salaries of
classified employees, who include pa—
ra-educators, clerical staff, custodians,
ground and maintenance crew mem-
bers, bus drivers, food service, depart-
ment administrators, technology staff,
and coaches.
I $16.269,187 for employee benefits
and payroll taxes.
The remaining 14.8 percentof the
budget includes $4,926,435 for sup—
plies and instructional materials;
$4,608,438 for consultants and train-
ing; $143,059 for travel, including
i} '1 1.0 if” .,
Vic Strickland, an electrician for the Shelton School District, on Monday
changes the lights on the sign at Oak-
land Bay Junior High School. The district is proposing a budget of almost
$65.5 million for the 2020-21 school
year that begins Sept. 2. Journal photo by Gordon Weeks
meals and lodging; and $59,000 for
capital outlays, which are single-item
purchases of $5,000 or more.
The proposed budget forecasts the
district will start the school year with
a fund balance of $2.5 million, and end
the school year with a balance of al-
most $4.5 million.
Superintendent Alex Apostle said
the district needs to monitor the bud-
get through the school year to prepare
for the possibility of transitioning to a
hybrid model of in-classroom and re-
mote learning when it is safe to do so.
At Tuesday’s board meeting, project
manager Jeff Feeney of KMB Archi-
tects gave 'an update on the construc-
tion projects on the athletic facilities
at Shelton High School. The turf for
the new football field is set to arrive
next week, and the new lights for the
field in the next couple weeks, he said.
Six of the old light poles have been
removed from the football field; os-
preys are nesting on the two remain—
ing poles, and by law the district can-
not remove them, Feeney said. Their
continued presence will not affect the
installation of the new lights, he said.
The tiles and gutters have been
installed at the improved swimming
pool, which is 8-1/2 feet deep at the
shallow end, and 5 feet deep. on the
other end. The new depth will accom-
modate diving blocks and allow the
school to host meets, Feeney said.
All the construction projects should
be completed by the end of September,
Feeney said.
Southside district students Will learn remotely
'Byméordon Weeks
gordon@masoncounty. com
The Southside School Board on Monday voted
unanimously to begin the school year with all its
estimated 190 to 200‘students learning online from
home. '
Southside joined four other Mason County school
districts opting for remote learning as the number
of cases of coronavirus surges: Shelton, North Ma-
son, Hood Canal and Pioneer.
“The decision reflects the concerns for students,
staff, families and our community,” Superintendent
Doris Bolender wrote in an email to the Shelton-
Mason County Journal. ' .
The Mary M. Knight School District is the first
school district in Mason County planning to place
students in the classroom in the fall, with an in-
person/online learning hybrid plan.
Under the plan passed July 30 by the district’s
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school board, the Matlock school’s 150 students in
kindergartenth‘rough 12th grade will be divided
into two groups. Students in the A'Group will attend
school in the buildings on Mondays and Thursdays,
the students in Group B on Tuesdays and Fridays;
on the other days, they are learning remotely. All
students will study at home on Wednesdays.
The students will be divided into the two groups
based on geography. Students in the same family
will have the same schedule.
The Grapeview School Board on Wednesday re-
viewed a proposed reopening plan after the Jour—
nal went to press. Superintendent Kurt Hilyard
said the plan will be posted Friday on the district’s
website.
The Southside School Board studied three re-
opening plans before choosing 100 percent remote
learning.
“There were many challenges in creating the re-
opening plan as this is an unprecedented experi-
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mice for all of us involved with the planning and the
information about the virus itself is ever-changing,”
Bolender wrote.
“We firmly believe that meeting directly with
students has greater benefits than a remote model,
but we needed to consider the safety of all and the
different scenarios that were possible. That is why
we planned for.‘ the four-day option, two-day option
and full remote option in developing the reopening
plan,” Bolender wrote.
The rising numbers of. coronavirus cases in the
county, and the recommendation from the Mason
County Department of Health for a high-risk com-
munity, were the deciding factors, the superinten-
dent wrote.
“At various times, committee members have
leaned toward all three options. With the changes
that have occurred in recent weeks, the board went
with the safest and recommended model,” Bolender
wrote.
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