The District 55 School Board agreed at its regular meeting on Feb. 11 to log the trees on the hillside around Sweet Home Junior High.
About 30 of the trees were blown down during the wind storm on Feb. 7.
At this point, there is no estimate on the value of the timber.
Director Barbara Snow read a letter from Track Coach Billy Snow requesting that the proceeds from the sale be spent fixing the track, which has been closed to student athletics until it can be rebuilt.
“I as a board member, with finances the way they area, would want to discuss that further,” Director Lee Babcock said. He was not saying he would not vote to spend the money on the track, but he was not comfortable making that decision that night.
Fund-raising efforts for the track have raised some $19,000 so far, Sweet Home High School Athletic Director Larry Johnson said. Currently, the community is running a Round Up for Track campaign, in which shoppers at local businesses can choose to donate their change to the track project.
In other business, the board:
– Accepted the donation of a 1978 Chevrolet van from Linda Paddock to the SHHS Automotive Shop.
– Accepted the donation of a 1989 Plymouth van from Jeff Mather to the SHHS Automotive Shop.
– Accepted the resignation of Kari Bartles, SHJH Title I and language arts teacher.
– Approved a trip for at least 14 SHHS students to visit Josai University High School in Tokyo, Japan, so they can experience the culture of customs of that country.
The students will be accompanied by Spanish teacher Cynde Burford and her husband, Bob Burford.
The trip starts on June 13. The travelers return on June 27.
– Approved teacher work days for SHHS and SHJH. The high school had no school on Feb. 15 for teachers to work on certificate of initial mastery (CIM), certificate of advanced mastery and the high school curriculum guide.
Feb. 27 will be an early release day at both the high school and junior high.
The junior high will have staff in “effective behavioral support” training as part of a district focus on improving classroom management in grades one through eight.
The high school will use to the time to do curriculum work and put CIM folders in order for students and parents.
Feb. 27 was already designated as an early release day for kindergarten and elementary schools.
– Approved a trip to Washington D.C. for eight students with Foster teacher Willa Martin, fifth and sixth grade. The trip had been scheduled for October but was rescheduled following the events of Sept. 11.
The students will be gone from May 22 to May 28. They include three from Foster, one from Hawthorne, one from Oak Heights, one from SHJH and two from SHHS. Two parent chaperones will accompany the group.
– Approved the purchase of 11 buses for $733,067. That total is offset by $27,500 for 11 used buses from the district.
– Approved new arts performance standards.
– Announced a decrease in the dropout rate. The dropout rate at SHHS was 6.1 percent in 2000-01. The rate was 6.49 the previous year. The state dropout rate decreased from 6.3 percent to 5.25 percent.
– Renewed and extended teacher contracts following executive session.