Centralia Teachers to Learn K-6 Configuration Placements Tuesday

Centralia elementary school teachers are slated to learn their placements for the new K-6 configuration this Tuesday, Centralia School District Superintendent Mark Davalos announced at a special school board meeting Wednesday evening.

“I’m just glad it’s done,” Davalos said after the meeting.

The Centralia School Board held a special meeting Wednesday evening where it approved a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the Centralia School District and the Centralia teachers union, the Centralia Education Association (CEA). The MOU outlines how the teachers will be assigned to buildings and grades, as well as how they will be compensated for their time moving.

CEA co-chair Lauri Johnson said via text message that the CEA is agreeing to the MOU. Johnson and other CEA co-chair Kerri Kite-Pocklington will work with Kate Pothier, executive director of special education and Kristy Vetter, executive director of teaching & learning to place teachers. Johnson did not respond to request for comment after the meeting.

“We are actually going to meet in here tomorrow,” Davalos said during the meeting. “We are going to run through this and actually do the assignments for all the K-6 teachers. … Teachers were sent a (memo) early this morning that describes the activity for tomorrow.”

Davalos said that principals will meet with teachers Tuesday to go over the new placements.

The Centralia School District is constructing two new elementary schools to replace Fords Prairie and Jefferson Lincoln. In 2017, voters approved a $74 million bond to construct the two new elementary schools and for a full like-new remodel of the high school.

The elementary schools in the district are currently a K-3 and 4-6 grade configuration — Fords Prairie (K-3), Jefferson Lincoln (K-3), Edison (K-3), Oakview (4-6) and Washington (4-6). Students are set to move into the new schools this fall and all elementary schools in the district are changing to the K-6 model.