Cossatot River School Board votes to close Umpire campus in 2024

By Patrick Massey

WICKES – The Cossatot River School

Board voted last week in favor of a recommendation to close its Umpire K-12 campus by the end of the 2023-2024 school year.

In a 4 to 2 vote on Oct. 12, the board approved a recommendation by Superintendent Tyler Broyles to close the Umpire campus due to low enrollment and what he called an increasing financial burden on the Cossatot River School District as a whole.

“It’s very much a tough decision to have to make,” Broyles said. “We’re just seeing enrollment not increase and now we’re at a point where the district as a whole is having to subsidize the Umpire campus a great deal, close to half-a-million dollars last year. Sadly, it’s reached a point where we have to do what’s in the best interest of the district and recommend closure. After the last two years we’ve done everything we could.”

The school board meeting included a group of residents from the Umpire community who expressed their hope to keep the campus open.

Following the vote last week, the measure to close the Umpire campus will now go before the state board of education for a final vote. Broyles said that meeting is expected to take place this fall.

If approved by state officials, the Umpire campus would cease to operate by the end of the cur-rent school year. Broyles said the district is making plans to incorporate the teachers employed at Umpire throughout the rest of the district. Staff overage would be addressed through attrition, (i.e. not hiring new teachers once current educators leave or retire.)

17 CRJH choir students earn All-Region chairs

By Patrick Massey

WICKES – A number of Cossatot River Jr. High choir students recently competed at All-Region Auditions, earning a number of spots for the group.

The Cossatot River Jr. High Choirs are under the direction of Susan Brewer and Jake Talamantez.

A total of 25 CRJH students attended the audition with 17 earning chairs plus one alternate. In addition, Jaylie Brantley earned first chair out of 130 altos.

Students earning chairs include:

Second Soprano

Jaynee Castro—20th chair

Jayna Sanchez—22nd chair

Alto

Jaylie Brantley—1st chair

Keeli Partee—9th chair

Kynzli Dyer—18th chair

Lydia Phillips—44th chair

Adisen Meredith—59th chair

Elina Oliver—63rd chair

Brylee Frachiseur—70th chair

Second Tenor

Samuel Cordova—5th chair

Lance Thomas—8th chair

Paxton Boyd—9th chair

Jakob Davis—11th chair

Isaac Gray—12th chair

Tyler Dixon—20th chair

Josue Flores—2nd alternate

Bass

Beaudy Lile—25th chair

Joseph Dosch—40th chair

Congratulations to the following Cossatot River High School senior high choir members for earning a chair in the Region 3 Honors Choir Oct. 7 at Bryant.

(Back row, l-r) Anthony Johnson, Jamey Johnson, Ashton Miller, Ulysses Lopez, Clifton Ragan, Hazael Cordova

(Front row, l-r) Dafne Avila, Elliana Johnson, Kenya Antunez, Mairany Marrufo

Over 800 students competed in this competition. Nineteen students from CRHS auditioned for the prestigious choir and 10 earned chairs. Almost all these students have been in All Region choir multiple years and work hard to compete and do well against schools much larger than Cossatot River.

These choir members will be performing in a clinic and concert on November 11, in Bryant, AR.

Cossatot River Choirs are under the direction of Susan Brewer.