Four elegant, talented and smart young women competed for the title of Miss Juneteenth earlier this month, but only one earned the crown. Ajanae Kinsey was crowned Miss Juneteenth 2013, earning her a $1,000 scholarship toward her college education. She will be a senior at Hanford High School this fall. Ajanae also won the Miss Congeniality award at the pageant.

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The Richland School District will move a portable big enough for two classrooms to White Bluffs Elementary School to help ease overcrowding for the next two school years. The decision came after a rare split vote from the Richland School Board in a special board meeting Thursday. Members Rick Jansons, Rick Donahoe and Mary Guay approved adding the portable at a cost of about $101,000.

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Three segments from a recent Richland School District television program are featured on YouTube.  You can learn more about Three Rivers HomeLink, the Richland Education Foundation, and state science fair grand prize winner Swetha Shutthanadan.  Thanks to the City of Richland Cable Communications Dept. for producing the program and to moderator Meredith Boggs of KNDU-TV.

• What exactly is HomeLink?
• Richland Education Foundation helps students
• State science fair grand prize winner

The Richland School Board will have a special meeting at 1:00 pm Thursday to discuss the moving of a portable classroom to White Bluffs Elementary School and a student enrollment cap at White Bluffs. The south Richland school had 815 students in the 2012-13 school year and more students are expected next year. The principal, teachers and the Parent Teacher Association have requested the district add a portable classroom to address the overcrowding.  Today's meeting will be at the RSD Administration Building.

The Hanford High School production of The Drowsy Chaperone received the Outstanding Overall Musical award last night (June 11) at the Seattle 5th Avenue High School Musical Theatre Awards. The Drowsy Chaperone was directed by Deb Donahoe and Peggy Painter. The production also won the Outstanding Performance by a Chorus award.

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The state Legislature adjourned today after failing to pass an operating budget. "I'm disappointed that the Legislature didn't pass a budget," said State Supt Randy Dorn. "The most recent budget we saw was the Senate's, which passed this past weekend. It continues to underfund the Supreme Court's call to adequately fund basic education. In addition, the Senate's proposal makes troubling decisions similar to those they made in their original budget in April."

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The 2013 Seattle 5th Avenue High School Music Theater Awards will be streamed live tonight (June 11) at 7:00 pm on the 5th Avenue Theater Facebook page. The Hanford High School production of The Drowsy Chaperone received nine nominations including Best Overall Musical. Judges evaluated 105 school musicals around the state. It is the high school version of Broadway's Tony Awards. The awards show will open with an electrifying all-school production number featuring 200 students singing in unison and celebrating musical theater.

• Live stream link

Owen McKinstry, 14, has a simple explanation for why Nancy Elliott is a good teacher. "She teaches you but you still have fun all the time," said the eighth-grade clarinet player, as he helped move timpani Wednesday to be used for a last day of school assembly at Chief Joseph Middle School. Elliott has been at Chief Jo since it reopened in 1994, working with about 200 students a year, instructing them in everything from bassoon to snare drum.

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Community members wishing to stay current with Richland School District happenings can do so via email. These weekly electronic news summaries include recaps of Richland School Board meetings along with up-to-date information on instruction, curriculum and facilities. To subscribe to Key Communicators, contact Steve Aagaard, RSD Communications Director, at steve.aagaard@rsd.edu

Hanford High School sophomore Shanta Katipamula earned a Bronze Medal in the Energy Category at the I-SWEEEP (International Sustainable World Energy, Engineering & Environment Project Olympiad ) held May 8-13 in Houston. Katipamula's project is "Working Towards a Greener Future: Investigating the Most Efficient and Cost Effective Method to Obtain Hydrogen from Water".

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