The Centralia School District has still not fixed the therapeutic whirlpool at the swimming facility. This has been over two years. The county health department gave the district time to fix it, but after two years, has shut the whirlpool.
I’m 66, paid taxes on the original bond to build the pool, and have voted for school levy taxes to, in part, maintain the pool facility. The district asked the community to fund the pool, which was funded by a bond and a commitment by both the city of Centralia and the Centralia School District to fund operations and upkeep (which is well documented in The Chronicle’s archives).
At my age, arthritis is an issue. The solution to relieve the discomfort is exercise and heat, both of which I can get at Thorbeckes, if the therapeutic whirlpool is working.
Every day, Thorbeckes has up to four water aerobics or exercise classes in the pool, which are well attended. Most participants are senior citizens dealing with similar aging issues and can benefit from the whirlpool. Anyone working out and getting sore can do so and get the relief of the whirlpool.
Seniors paid their taxes. The community paid the bond and pays taxes to both the city and school district. They’ve done their part.
The district is also deeply involved in negotiations for teacher salaries, threatening whirlpool funds. Centralia teachers have in the past received a large portion of their basic pay from levy funds, but this has now been ruled illegal. The state Legislature rolled back local levy taxes, but replaced the lost funds with new state education money.
Centralia teachers, in past years, have received the higher increases many other districts are now getting but got them earlier via the levy money. Most Lewis County schools did not have the high extra pay teachers in Centralia get so those districts have been able to apply far more of the new state salary money to next year.
Centralia teachers got more levy funds than most of rural Washington, so more has to be replaced by the new state funds before applying the rest to a new pay increase. This makes it tough to see the bigger percentage increases elsewhere, including smaller towns in the county, but Centralia actually got the higher pay earlier from levy funds.
On top of that, the new state salary plan provides up to 24 percent more in larger urban schools districts while rural Washington gets the least, making comparisons unfair.
It’s going to be a tough transition. The Aug. 2 newspaper said teachers have voted to authorize a strike. I hope the teachers can step back.
A strike will be very damaging to the community for a cause the district can’t do much about. Parents looking for daycare in September will certainly create pressure, but arbitration while kids go to school would be better.
I personally would hate to see seniors lose the whirlpool they’ve paid for.
Neal Kirby
Centralia
