Benny Westcott
At the Monday, Sept. 12, Sweet Home School District board meeting, Superintendent Terry Martin addressed the weather-related public safety power shutoffs (see story on this page) that hit the city and resulted in district-wide closures Friday, Sept. 9, and also discussed an increase in enrollment numbers.
“We do not close school lightly,” he said, calling the decision a painful one. “We were going with the information that we had at hand. We started looking at if we could keep our students safe and provide water, lights and school lunches with no power. And we determined we weren’t able to do that. It was really nice to have the city, school district and fire department all sitting at a table working hand-in-hand.
“The weather is the most unpredictable thing when you’re trying to plan,” he continued. “But I feel good with the messaging. We had the buildings manned, and not a single student showed up to any building. So the messaging is working.”
“Even though we were faced with a lot of uncertainty,” student representative Max Klumph said, “district employees and coaches all stepped up to not let that problem stop us.”
“After how many setbacks we’ve had,” fellow rep Brooke Burke added, “a little one like that is not going to get us down.”
Martin had happier news about enrollment numbers, calling them “strong.” About 2,340 students are currently enrolled, an increase of 209 over last year’s 2,131.
Junior High Principal Mark Looney reported 207 seventh-graders against the average total enrollment of 360 for both seventh and eighth grades.
“We are busting at the seams,” he said. “I’m excited, because this is a new thing for us at the Junior High. But at the same time, our hallways are busy. We are continuing with one-way hallways just to keep traffic moving, and we’re not using lockers for several reasons. Mainly, it’s just keeping kids in class. We have a three-minute passing time, and I want kids in class as much as possible.”
High School Principal Ralph Brown noted that ninth-grade numbers “have greatly increased from what we were expecting last year. I think part of it is all the new housing and people moving in, which is really great.”
The high school’s freshman class has 196 students, when it is normally around 180, said High School Guidance Secretary Michelle Knight. The school’s total enrollment is 691, on the higher end of the spectrum of the 650 to 700 students the school typically has, according to Knight.
Brown commended the school’s leadership class for setting up a “9th Grade Only” Day to welcome new arrivals.
“We’re trying to basically give a lot of positivity back after all of the garbage the kids have faced over the last couple of years,” he said. “It’s been a great start.”
According to Holley Elementary Principal Josh Dargis, enrollment is currently at 170 students.
“We’ve never been this large,” he said, remarking on the turnout at the school’s recent open house.
“I had to literally push everybody out when we were done at 7:30,” he said. “They probably would have stayed there all night.”
Students received coats at the event.
“As hot as it was on that particular day,” Martin said, “I saw kids going out the front door with brand new coats that they were excited about.”
Foster Elementary welcomed 46 kindergarteners, with some 340 students enrolled overall.
More than 100 bags of school supplies were distributed at its open house.
“We’re working to make sure that happiness and positivity continues to be our goal, and helping people realize how good things really are,” Foster principal Luke Augsburger said. “We are focusing on academic achievement and continuing to improve scores across the curriculum, and really working to help all students individually achieve their best and reach their fullest potential.”
Hawthorne Elementary greeted 51 kindergarten students.
“We’re trying really hard to make sure that we’re focused on attendance and achievement,” Hawthorne Principal Debbie Philips said.
At Oak Heights Elementary, Principal Todd Barrett announced, morning meetings with students and staff have returned.
“With COVID, we stopped doing the morning meetings for distancing reasons,” he said. “But now we’re meeting every single morning. We go over announcements. This week we’re talking about bravery. We talked about the Orange Frog [program], and then we [recited] the Pledge of Allegiance and headed to class.”
He described it as “about six or seven minutes of community building. We’re already seeing a positive impact from having that community back.”
Oak Heights’ enrollment is at 317, which is more than the school normally has, said Secretary Jill Moore. She said that last year, the school had 294 students.
Oak Heights has scheduled its open house for 6 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 15.
Martin remarked upon a need, or “hunger,” to return to normal.
“[People] want to be back in our schools,” he said. ” The schools can again become the heart of the community, which in small towns the schools are.”
He’s working with the Sweet Home Police Department to set up student/officer lunches.
“All the little kids want to grow up and be firemen. But they also need to see policemen in a positive light,” he said. “No one’s getting a ticket. No one’s being taken away. They’re just there being the natural helper-type people that they are. So I’m excited about that. Basically, it’s a good thing for our community.”
Regarding school safety, he said, “We continue to upgrade all of our schools,” noting the elementary and junior high schools’ safety vestibules and the increase in number and quality of cameras district-wide. Key cards are in use for building access, and upgrades for radios across the district to increase emergency preparedness are also underway. Technologically, new touchscreen laptops are being deployed across the district, and new short-throw “smart board” projectors are being installed in classrooms.
Martin credited district staff for making the schools what they are.
“All the way through, we have incredibly caring and professional staff,” he said. “And that’s a big part of what helps make Sweet Home different. We really have quality individuals here. That’s what makes Sweet Home a great place for our students.”
A look at the district’s budget revealed that spending year-to-date is just over $193,000 higher than it was last year in the same time period. A primary reason, according to District Business Manager Kevin Strong, is higher classified labor expenses following the hiring of additional positions.
“This also reflects the negotiated classified salary increase,” he noted.
Liability and property insurance also saw significant cost increases.
“Our premiums continue to go higher,” he said.
In other action, the board:
— Approved the hiring of the following Oak Heights personnel for the 2022-23 school year: second-grade teacher Jesse Fipps, PE teacher Michelle Bradley and temporary kindergarten teacher Kirsten Marin.
— Approved the hiring of Sweet Home High School counselor Haley May for the 2022-23 school year.
— Approved the hiring of Holley Elementary PE teacher John Mithen on a part-time basis for the 2022-23 school year.
— Accepted the resignation of Holley Elementary sixth-grade teacher Caryn Wise, effective June 30, 2022.