March 23 School Board Highlights

Following are some of the highlights from the March 23, Ephrata School Board meeting. Members of the public are always welcome to attend board meetings. Meeting dates and times, board agendas and other information.

🏆 Celebrating Our State Competitors! 
At this month’s School Board meeting, we proudly recognized an outstanding group of Ephrata students who recently competed at the state level. These students represent the very best of our Tiger community through their hard work, dedication, and commitment to excellence. We are incredibly proud of their accomplishments and the way they represented Ephrata on the big stage.

Recognized groups and individuals included:

EHS Cheer
Coach Heather Wood introduced the 21-member team, now in their third year of competitive cheer. Competing in both traditional and game day routines, the team earned 3rd place in traditional and were crowned State Champions in the game day category.

EHS Girls Wrestling
Coach Raul Tejeda highlighted a historic season, with the team earning 4th place in state and bringing home their first state trophy. The team also placed third in both districts and academics.

Adylene Sanchez – State Champion (155 lbs), for the second consecutive year
Carolina Monico – 3rd place (235 lbs)
Alexandra Estrada Rangel (130 lbs) and Tessa Hausken (190 lbs) – 4th place finishers

EHS Boys Wrestling
Coach Joe Knox shared that six athletes qualified for the state championships, with two earning medals:

Colt Staples – 5th place (165 lbs)
Payton Wood – 6th place (215 lbs)

EHS HOSA
Coach Marissa Cox reported that 21 students attended the state conference. Navi Kaur advanced to the second round in the Family Medicine Physician event. She is the first Ephrata student to do so in three years, and was invited to attend the Congress of Future Medical Leaders.

EHS FFA
Coach Meagan Haight recognized student success in horticulture competitions:

Floriculture Team – 6th place in state, with Tessa Hausken placing 11th individually
Intro to Horticulture Team (freshmen/sophomores) – 1st place in state, with Chloe Ballinger earning 1st place individually

Columbia Ridge LEGO Robotics
Coaches Julie Kessel and Alicia Keegan celebrated the nine-member team’s achievements, including a Core Values Award at the state qualifier and an Engineering Excellence Award at state. The team advances to the American Robotics Open Championship in New Jersey this June.

Grant Elementary Math Team
Coaches Gabby Uhl and Edra Chamberlin shared that the team earned 2nd place in the Pi Division, competing against top regional schools. Noah Franks – 9th place overall and “Best in School” for the highest individual score

Thank you to our students, coaches, advisors and families for your continued support and commitment to excellence.

---

🚌 Purchase of New School Buses Approved
The board approved the surplus of three aging buses and the purchase of up to three new buses to support safe, reliable student transportation across the district.

Due to pending legislation that could impact depreciation funding, the board authorized a total expenditure of $620,242 with a flexible plan: if funding changes, two buses will be purchased now, with the third to be reconsidered later. This approach allows the district to stay within the current 30-day bid window while remaining fiscally responsible. The buses will be purchased from RWC Group in Spokane, Washington.

---

💻 New Computer Equipment for EHS 
The Board approved the use of CTE funds to purchase a new computer lab for Ephrata High School. This upgrade will replace the oldest business lab and ensure students have access to modern, high-performing technology. With courses in multimedia, artificial intelligence, computer science and engineering, keeping equipment up to date is essential for supporting student learning and building real-world, industry-relevant skills.

The computers will be purchased from Dell Technologies through an existing purchasing contract for $63,743.

---

🏫🔨 EHS Roof Replacement Update
The district continues to make strong progress on the planned re-roofing project at Ephrata High School. In February, the board approved the selection of Design West Architects to support the bid process for replacing the roof on the main building and gym, which covers approximately 64,000 square feet.

At last night’s meeting, staff shared an update on the project timeline. Final drawings are expected to be completed and submitted for city permitting in early April. The project will be advertised for bids in mid-April, with bid opening and board consideration planned for May.

If approved, construction will begin shortly after the end of the school year, with work substantially complete before students return in the fall in order to minimize disruption to students and staff.

---

🏗️ Bond Next Steps
Superintendent Ken Murray shared an update on the district’s next steps in gathering feedback on a potential future bond. In recent weeks, he has been connecting with staff and community members to better understand the concerns and questions that shaped the outcome of the February 2026 Bond.

A community and staff survey is currently being developed and will be shared soon to gather broad, meaningful input from across Ephrata. In addition, the Facility Study Group, whose work informed the February 2026 bond recommendation, will be expanded to include additional, more representative voices from the community. The group is expected to reconvene in April, with meeting details to be shared soon.

The district’s goal is to use this feedback to refine its approach, with a revised bond proposal anticipated for School Board consideration in late fall.

---

🏛️ 2026 Legislative Session Wrap-Up
The 2026 Washington State legislative session wrapped up on March 12. Lawmakers faced a $2.3 billion deficit, passed 267 bills and approved a budget increasing state spending by $1.6 billion over two years. For K–12 schools, the session brought a mix of wins, setbacks and new requirements.

Wins:

• Public schools are exempted from the new sales tax under the millionaire’s tax (with a severability clause to protect the exemption if challenged).
• The Washington State School Directors’ Association was able to modify most proposed unfunded and underfunded mandates.

Setbacks:

• Local Effort Assistance (LEA) funding was cut by $25 million statewide. These are the dollars provided to property poor school districts, like Ephrata, to offset local property tax limitations and support district operations. In Ephrata, Levy and LEA funds make up roughly 10 percent of the district’s budget.
• The per-pupil funding increase for 2027 drops from $250 per student to $150. For Ephrata Schools, a reduction of $100 per student equates to roughly $256,000 less in anticipated state funding for our district.

While the session brought challenges, the Ephrata School District remains committed to adapting, protecting resources, and continuing to support students, families and staff.

---

🎁 Thank You, Community!
The board gratefully accepted the following donation over $500:

• Granco Credit Union: $800 for Parkway Intermediate’s family night meal. 
• Moses Lake Simplot: $1,000 and french fries via their mobile truck for parent engagement nights at Parkway Intermediate.