By Louie Graves
News-Leader staff
“This is not a friendly detachment,” Umpire spokesman Gary White told the Howard County Quorum Court at its regular meeting Monday.
White, along with five prospective new school board members and a handful of supporters, were at the meeting to ask that five citizens, chosen from open nomination, be officially named as the Umpire School Board.
After hearing his brief talk, the Quorum Court unanimously approved the proposed board list, consisting of Ricky Pinkerton, Carla Reid, Jason Manasco, Lesli Efird and Jason O’Neal.
They were immediately given the oath of office by County Judge Brent Pinkerton.
In his talk, White said that the Cossatot River School Board had told the Umpire School Steering Committee that maintain the Umpire school was too expensive and that it should close.
The committee has been funded by community donations and has hired an attorney to negotiate with Cossatot River.
White said it had been a three-year journey to get to this point.
The Umpire school accounts for 11% of Cossatot River’s enrollment, and the Umpire District will now get 11% of the state funds that were headed to Cossatot River.
White also said that the effort to revive the Umpire District had been approved by the State Department of Education, “but we need to have the official school board.”
Currently, students still attend classes on the former Umpire campus, and the administration has been by Cossatot River.
There was only one other piece of action at the court’s regular meeting for March.
Members unanimously approved Ordinance 2026-4 adjusting the budget for elections reimbursement.
JPs present at Monday’s meeting included the following: D’Ann Henderson, Don Marks, Jerry Harwell, Kerry Strasner, Juanita Hendrix, Liz McDaniel and Janet Lay O’Neal.
