School District 55 held its budget meeting on May 13, followed by its regularly scheduled board meeting where they heard an update on freshman graduation tracking.
Budget
The district’s proposed budget for 2024-2025 is $68.7 million, with actual spending levels (after transfers and contingencies) projected at $51.2 million. The amount includes $3.8 million in grants that the school district was able to obtain for various projects; $1.9 million to operate meal programs for students, Boys & Girls Club and Fire School; and $29.5 million net of the ending fund balance and pool and student transportation operating costs for the General Fund.
The proposed budget includes the grant-funded addition of an elementary literacy coach and summer school literacy program to help students improve reading skills; the addition of a high school math teaching position and more math classes; funds for a School Resource Officer; funds for the Long Term Maintenance Fund to help pay for future facility improvements; the reduction of one elementary teacher to reflect lower enrollment; and the addition of a Career/Financial Literacy teaching position to not only help equip students to make informed decisions, but also meet new state graduation requirements. SHHS graduate Ryan Graville accepted this position.
“To help supplement a future bond, the school board established the long-term maintenance fund in 2004 so the district would not have to rely entirely on bonds to make capital improvements and major repairs,” the district stated in a press release.
Once the Oak Heights seismic project is completed this summer, the district will then address high school classroom space. The district explained many outdated classrooms at the high school not only have exterior entrances, but the flat roof construction is not holding up well in Oregon’s climate.
The auditorium foyer, band and choir classrooms, Career Technical Education areas and wood shop also need attention. The district would also like to add a bus loop for improved traffic flow and make improvements for PE classes and softball, baseball and soccer fields.
The district explained that it only goes out for a bond about every 25 years. The current bond from 2001 that is expected to be paid off in a couple years helped pay for the renovation of the north side of the high school, including the cafeteria, library and main offices. A new gym was also built on the southwest side of campus.
Needs within the renovated portion of the school include a security vestibule at the front
entrance and realignment of some hallways so the school feels less like a maze inside.
“The cost to build a new classroom wing with 25 to 30 classrooms, improve Career Technical
Education spaces and make other improvements designed to last for the next 75-plus years will be significant and other funding will be necessary, especially if the community does not want to
increase the tax rate,” the district stated.
The district hopes to pursue other funding sources, such as the Oregon School Capital Improvement Matching (OSCIM) grant that currently provides a $6 million match for voter-approved bonds.
Board meeting
Following the budget meeting on May 13, the school board heard from High school Assistant Principal Luke Augsburger, who provided an update on the school’s 9th Student Success Team, a program designed to increase the percentage of freshmen on track to graduate. Made up of a group of primarily teachers and staff, they meet regularly to review data and implement strategies to help students along.
Augsburger reported that 87% of freshmen were on track to graduate last year, so the team made it a goal to finish this year with above 90%.
“At our meetings, that became our focus,” he said. “That is what we looked at and talked about.”
One of the things they did was implement a “champions” program that connects students in a “yellow zone” (failing one to two classes) with mentors. At the end of the first semester this year, 94% of freshmen were on track to graduate; currently the percentage hovers between 89% and 91%.
Next year the school will implement a 10th Student Success Team modeled after the ninth grade version, with a goal that sophomores will have at least 12 credits by the end of the school year.
“We believe that by taking this next step, we will give students a really good foundation to be able to see the end result, high school graduation.”
In other business, the board:
- Randomly drew Hawthorne student Brighton Landauer’s name as the ESPY/SPARK winner of a Chrome laptop;
- Approved the adoption of Amplify and Discovery curriculum for K-5 science and language arts curriculum;
- Approved the extension of the superintendent’s contract for a third year, 7-1;
- Approved the transfer of $1.5 million from the General Fund to the Long Term Maintenance Fund for the purpose of staying committed to future major projects.