WEST BRANCH SCHOOLS Board OKs moving tree to new school

Students planted tree seven years ago in honor of principal who is critically ill.
By JoANN JONES
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
BELOIT -- Sonya Kaurich of Beloit, a former Maple Ridge Elementary teacher, hasn't forgotten the children at the school scheduled to be demolished when the West Branch Local School District constructs a new elementary building on land adjacent to the high school here.
Kaurich, who retired at the end of the 2001 school year, attended the board of education meeting Thursday to ask the board to preserve a pine tree planted at the school by moving it to the new school in Beloit.
Maple Ridge pupils planted the tree seven years ago in honor of principal Richard Warner, who became ill and was forced to leave. Warner remains hospitalized, Kaurich said.
"Students paid for that tree themselves," Kaurich said. "They brought in nickels, dimes, and pop bottle [deposits] to pay for it. I've had so many students and parents ask me what is going to happen to the tree when the building is torn down. It's hard to explain what it means to the children," she continued. "They've used it for lessons about conservation and ecology, and they've taken care of the tree."
Board members agreed that moving the 6-foot tree was a good idea and promised that it would be taken care of.
Band trip
The board also gave approval to Robert Barnett, high school band director, and the band to travel to Chicago on April 25-27 to perform at the Heritage Music Festival.
Smith Landscaping of Beloit donated $15,300 and Stitle Construction of Salem donated $4,500 toward renovation of the baseball field and construction of new dugouts.
Superintendent Lou Ramunno said the district paid for the materials for the projects, while these donations were for the labor involved.
The board also accepted grants totaling $100,000 from the OhioReads program, $2,246 from a Safe Schools grant, and two conflict management grants worth $4,000 each.
Treasurer Karen Elsner also announced that the district's financial reports for the 2001-02 school year are available for the public to view in her office. The board also told Elsner to advertise for bids for up to three school buses and for the technology package for the new schools to be finished by fall 2003.