Sawdust covered my shoes while wood and clear coat filled my nose. I was touring the Kendrick facilities on Nov. 17 in Edgewood, where I later attended the Delaware County Economic Development’s Fifth Annual Legislative Roundtable.

Teacher Jordan Pollock accompanied students Taylor Cherry (12), Tesia Manson (12), Keeshia Steffen (12), Hannah Wenger (11), Dunston Werner (12), and me.

Our first stop of the day was Kendrick Forest Products. We wore headphones to hear our guide speak as we toured the sawmill and saw how timber went through the process of being turned into wood slabs.

Next, we toured Forever Cabinets by Kendrick and The Markket. We learned how the workers created doors for cabinets and explored the Markket, which is connected to the shop. Between them we checked out the little Shimlee shop, where they print art and photographs onto wood.

The Markket is a beautiful store filled with home decor, including full model kitchens. The upper level even provides a bird’s eye view of the store below.

I enjoyed touring the Kendrick facilities and learning about the many jobs Kendricks provides.

As a member of my Government class, I attended the Delaware County Economic Development’s Fifth Annual Legislative Roundtable. Senator Dan Zumbach and Representative Lee Hein were the special guest speakers.

Taking place at the Edgewood Locker Event Center, all attendees ate a meal together and we introduced ourselves. The attendees included students from Ed-Co and Maquoketa Valley, as well as workers from surrounding communities.

The main concern during this event that stuck out to me was money. Our representatives say that the state´s money can only stretch so far. Although schools receive at least 60% of the state’s money, other areas, like agriculture, need money too.

According to Lynnette Engel, West Delaware’s finance director, Iowa schools receive $2,971,731,657 from the state. Out of that, West Delaware is given $8,472,657.

According to Superintendent Dr. Kristen Rickey, money has been an issue at West Delaware due to the school receiving a certain amount of money per student and declining enrollment.

“We get Supplemental State Aid, which tells how much money we’re allowed to spend. But it’s low and has been low for a long time,” said Rickey. “The concern is that it’s getting lower.”

There is a categorical system, which dedicates a certain amount of money to certain matters, like professional development. The problem is that money can’t easily be moved around to areas that need extra funding, but the Legislature has opened up the moving process a little bit, which helps, according to Rickey.

Now, after participating in this discussion, I am more appreciative of the upgrades that the school acquires, such as comfy seating in the library and Chromebooks. Having Chromebooks helps some students get their homework done outside of school, and students don’t have to buy their own if they can’t afford it.

The West Delaware staff provides as much as they can for what we need. Through funds and donations, we can take class trips. If it weren’t for budgeting, students may not have the best technology or all of the extracurricular activities that we have.

I encourage those who have questions and concerns about our school or Delaware County to take the opportunity to attend this event next year.