Sean C. Morgan
An inspection by the Oregon Department of Education’s Office of Learning, Equality Unit, has found that Sweet Home is out of compliance on several equality issues.
The ODE conducted an on-site review of the school’s career and technical education programs from March 31 to April 1.
Supt. Keith Winslow shared the results with the School Board during its regular meeting on May 9.
The state conducted the inspection for compliance with federal Department of Education and Department of Justice standards, focusing on equality and disability issues, after noting that Sweet Home High School’s welding program does not have enough female students.
“We have several of the findings that they sent down to us that we have to fix,” Winslow said.
Those are outlined in what’s called a “voluntary compliance plan.”
Federal money is at stake if the district were to choose not to address the issues. The plan includes 19 issues that must be addressed.
Regarding the issue of female participants in welding, the district is required to come up with 10 ways to promote female involvement in the class, Winslow said. The ODE will select five for Sweet Home to implement.
In another case red-flagged by the ODE, the district’s list of protected classes in non-discrimination statements doesn’t include marital status or transgender, Winslow said.
Also among issues identified by the inspectors, the district has a system in place for identifying students with disabilities, but it uses the term “handicap.” The district must substitute the word with “disability” or “condition.”
Several of the issues, including restroom access, are related to the age of the buildings, Winslow said. District staff are already working on one of the bathrooms in question.
State officials noted several commendations during their investigation, Winslow said.
Among them, investigators found that students liked the sense of community at their school, and it is obvious that accessibility and Americans with Disabilities Act compliance for all students has been a focus in the district.
“Sweet Home can be held as a model for other districts in the state,” the report said. The facilities are clean and in remarkably good shape and can be a source of pride for the community and students.
The students felt safe and felt they could go to staff members for help, and Sweet Home “does an amazing job offering students experiences in career pathways.” Sweet Home also does impressive followup with each student.
Educational opportunities are numerous, according to the report. The number of elective offerings is remarkable.
Sweet Home goes above and beyond to serve students with special needs, the report said. An example is the modification of equipment for students to be able to continue in the wood-working class and Forestry Club.
The school has a large number of clubs and activities, and shop teacher Dustin Nichol goes out of his way to accommodate all students in construction, automotive and forestry programs, the report said.
Maintenance personnel were very responsive to recommendations, and in some cases, they fixed issues immediately.
Compliance plan lists corrections school district must make
The voluntary compliance plan requires corrections to the following:
n Sweet Home School District provides annual notification that career and technical education programs are open to all students, but it does not include all protected classes, such as marital status and sexual orientation. By Sept. 15, the district must create and publish notice to the public that all career and technical education opportunities are available to all students, including all state and federal protected classes. It also must be published on the district website.
n The district has a policy of nondiscrimination that includes all protected classes and contact information, but it is not used consistently. The district must update the statement that is found on the district website to include all protected classes and contact information and publish it consistently on documents and publications as well the district and high school websites.
n The district has a statement notifying the public whom it should contact for special accommodations. The district feels that most people in the community would know to contact the high school or district office with questions. Because of this, the district does not have a written statement used to notify the public about contact for special needs.
The district must create and use an approved statement notifying the public about how to contact the district for special accommodations by Dec. 15.
n The district has a grievance policy and procedure, but it is not specific to complaints alleging discrimination nor easily accessed by students or staff.
The district must review and update the current policy and procedures to be specific to complaints alleging discrimination, making it clear that informal procedures are not required. It must be included in student, parent and staff handbooks and published on the district’s and high school’s websites.
n The district’s application for admission includes a request for mother’s maiden name and father’s name and address, which is considered to be an inquiry about parental and marital status. The district must stop doing this by May 31.
n The district’s career and technical education programs are in high demand. Since the classes are always filled, there hasn’t been a process to consider recruitment of underrepresented groups, and current enrollment is disproportionately male.
The district must brainstorm 10 recruiting strategies to address the disproportion of enrollment of students by gender and then implement five of them.
n The district has staff members who are able to speak “some” Spanish. They are called on when interpretation or translator services are needed in the office, but the school has no written plan in place. The district must create a plan and procedures to provide the service.
n The district has a system in place for identifying students with disabilities, but it uses the term “handicap.” The district must substitute the word with “disability” or “condition.”
n The district has a program in its Basic Learning Center that includes medically fragile students, but it has no written plan for evacuating those students. It must create one by May 31.
n The investigation found 15 doors that require 10 to 17 pounds of pressure to open. Those must be updated so they require no more than 5 pounds of force to open by Aug. 31.
n A table in the old library in B building has had its tray removed, but the hardware for the tray is still under the table and does not provide a smooth surface. As a result the work space is not accessible. The district must remove the tray and all of the hardware to provide a smooth surface and 27 inches of knee clearance by May 31.
n The bathroom in the wood shop is not readily accessible for wheelchair use. The door is too narrow and the turnaround space is too small. The district must provide an accessible bathroom there by Aug. 31.
n The bathrooms in the forestry building have a grab bar next to the water closet but not in the back, making the restrooms not readily accessible. The district must place a grab bar at the rear of the water closet by Aug. 31.
n The Basic Life Skills program uses a greenhouse to grow plants and for student science activities. It has a gravel pathway that turns off the main paved path. While the team was inspecting the school, a “medically fragile” student was being pushed in her wheelchair across the gravel and being jostled about. The district must pave a path by Aug. 31.
n The school must add one “accessible” parking space and a sign in the north high school parking lot, one van-accessible space each to the south and east parking lots and two van-accessible spaces to the west parking lot by Aug. 31.
n Building B has a restroom accessible from outside the building. The entrance and stalls are too small for wheelchair access. The district must provide comparable access to the restrooms for students with disabilities by Aug. 31.
n Sweet Home High School has a written workplace agreement that does not contain an assurance of nondiscrimination. It must add one to the written workplace agreement by May 31.
n Districts must ensure that their counseling materials and activities and promotional and recruitment materials do not discriminate based on the basis or race, color, national origin, sex or disability. The counselors at the high school do not have consistent procedures for the way they work with students, so they cannot ensure that activities do not discriminate.
The school must ensure that counseling materials and activities do not discriminate by creating a written policy and procedure for the guidance and counseling programs by May 31.
n The district has a notice of nondiscrimination, but it does not include it on printed application forms and materials for every source of faculty. It must include the statement on all application forms that the district does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, religion and disability as required in federal guidelines. It also must add “marital status” and “sexual orientation” by May 31.