The W.F. West High School tennis courts may soon go by a new and familiar name. At its regular meeting on Jan. 16, the Chehalis School District Board of Directors unanimously passed a resolution activating the district’s facility naming committee to consider naming the W.F. West tennis courts for the late Jack State.
State, 80, a long-time teacher and coach at W.F. West, passed away on Jan. 6. He taught physical education at W.F. West from 1974 until his retirement in 2000. He coached basketball for many years at W.F. West and also served as assistant men’s basketball coach at Centralia College for 11 years. This fall was his 50th season coaching the W.F. West boys tennis team, and he would have marked his 48th season coaching girls tennis this spring.
“The State family has given a tremendous amount of time and talent to the Chehalis community and school district,” the Chehalis School District said in a news release Wednesday.
The State family, including daughter Kristin, has been active in the Lewis County Tennis Association and the effort to create the Lewis County Indoor Tennis Facility in Chehalis. Jack and Chehalis School Board Director Colleen State have been married since 1975. Colleen State has been a Chehalis School Board director since 2011. Their son, Kyle State, works as a counselor at Chehalis Middle School.
Chehalis School Board Director J. Vander Stoep, who was coached by State in his inaugural year as boys tennis coach and later became long-time friends with his former coach, made the motion during the Jan. 16 meeting to activate the naming committee.
Before the vote was taken, Colleen State asked board President Alan Browning to read the entirety of the resolution so their children, who attended the meeting via Zoom, could hear it.
“I think we are all incredibly indebted to and appreciative of Jack and the entire State family,” Browning said.
The last time the Chehalis School District’s facility naming committee was activated was for the naming of James Lintott Elementary and Orin Smith Elementary, which opened to students in 2018 and 2019, respectively.
The committee was created by Chehalis School Board policy 6970, which says:
“Naming of school facilities will only be considered by the board to provide recognition for individuals or entities that make an exceptional contribution, financial or non-financial, to benefit the District. Facilities shall only be named for individuals or entities whose actions and reputation are consistent with furthering the mission and vision of the School District.”
The Chehalis School Board will consider committee member recommendations at its next board meeting, scheduled for 6:30 p.m. on Feb. 20.
