Sean C. Morgan
Of The New Era
A recently completed community survey shows that local residents broadly support the restoration of arts and music in elementary schools, along with more support for students with behavioral and mental health issues and several other options, in recommending how the Sweet Home School District should spend Student Success Act funding next school year.
The survey period ended in mid-December with some 490 responses from staff and community members, “a pretty good mix,” said Supt. Tom Yahraes.
“We actually had more response in the survey than we did in our five-year Strategic Plan survey two years ago,” he said.
At this early point, detailed results from the survey are not available, Yahraes said, but among highlights were the support for arts, music and support for students with behavioral and mental issues.
The district has roughly 460 students with disabilities and 280 who are considered homeless.
Community members also broadly supported increaing instructional support for students who do not meet academic standards, investing in science and engineering instruction and for more opportunities for all students to access before-school and after-school activities The district also offered a survey to the parents of students with disabilities and homeless students, which includes multi-family households.
During the 2019 legislative session, Oregon legislators and the governor approved the Student Success Act.
The act, taking effect on Jan. 1, includes a tax on business with gross revenues of more than $1 million per year. When fully implemented, the legislation is expected to invest $1 billion in early learning and K-12 education each year. Of those funds, $200 million goes into the State School Fund and the remaining is distributed into three accounts: the Early Learning Account, the Student Investment Account and the Statewide Education Initiatives Account.
Under the tax, businesses may subtract up to 35 percent of their commercial activity for the cost of inputs and labor, with exemptions for groceries, utilities, fuel, hospitals and other commercial activities, Yahraes said. It also cuts personal income tax rates by .25 percent except at the top marginal bracket. He expects the district to begin receiving revenues in 2020-21.
Half of the revenues must be used to expand learning time, for student health and safety, to reduce class sizes and for a well-rounded learning experience, Yahraes said, while up to 30 percent may be spent on statewide initiatives and 20 percent on early learning programs.
The district currently estimates $1.5 million in revenue for the 2020-21 school year, Yahraes said. The last he heard, the district’s estimated share is $640 to $655 per student, but the state has yet to finalize the grant details.
“The essence of the Student Success Act is about leveling the playing field for students who have historically experienced academic disparities,” Yahraes said.
In addition to addressing the findings in the survey, “we’re also going to address the needs we see in our district data,” Yahraes said. “We need to support math in the the junior high (for example).”
That might not be a top choice among respondents, but based on testing data, it’s necessary, Yahraes said. The district will add recovery classes and additional intervention to help students become successful ninth -graders.
The district has put together a team that includes volunteer staff members and community members to go through the data and tease out details from the respondents to the survey, he said. That process will include two meetings in January.
That group will bring that information to the Central Office, he said, where the district office team will go over district-wide performance data, enrollment and demographics. With that information, the team will assemble recommendations to the School Board, which will consider the recommendations at its regular meeting on March 9.
At the same time, the district will need to seek approval of its plan from the Oregon Department of Education and begin developing a budget for 2020-21, which takes effect July 1.
District staff will build a budget as normal, with Student Success Act funds tracked individually for reporting to the state, similar to how the district has had to track Measure 98 funds to improve graduation rates and create more career and technical education opportunities, Yahraes said. The recommendations and budget may require adjustment, based on the School Board’s response.