Benny Westcott
Certified Union Representative Steve Thorpe told the School Board Monday night, Dec. 12, that the district’s teachers have tentatively accepted a “financial package” part of the contract with the district in this negotiations year.
He said that when he put it out to vote to his members, 94% accepted the financial part of the negotiations.
“The contract is like I’ve never seen before,” Thorpe said. “As I start 32 years, I’ve never seen anything like this. Nor have I ever been a part of anything that wasn’t so much a negotiations as it was a collaboration.
“This has been some of the easiest workings that I’ve got to do, even on stuff that’s not all great,” Thorpe continued. “But when you’re able to work professionally and collaboratively, and you can protect your members and those that work here and champion our kids… not everybody’s going to like what happens, but when you know that decisions are made with the best intentions in mind, and no one’s trying to win something, it’s pretty cool.”
He said “I don’t see that changing right now. I like where we’re at, and it makes the position that I’m in a lot easier, when you can have that respect and work together. It’s a good thing.”
And it’s a good thing that Thorpe doesn’t take for granted. “In talking with a lot of my friends that teach and coach at other places, we’re in a pretty good place compared to what some others are doing,” he said.
“I think it speaks volumes to this community, and how we rallied in a hard time and then recovered to find better times. We can’t change our situation a lot of times, but we can change ourselves in that situation, and that’s what we did,” he added.
Thorpe said that in the negotiation, “What (the district) responded with speaks volumes that we are valued here. We are very valued.”
The Dec. 12 meeting also featured discussion on whether the board should make an exception to its no-alcohol on district property policy to accommodate an Oregon Jamboree music event next spring.
At the last meeting on Nov. 14, board members voted 5-2 to direct staff to draft a board policy change that would allow alcohol to be sold and consumed on district property when specifically authorized by the superintendent in writing following the submission of a district Alcohol Use Request Form and a certificate of insurance coverage, and get the potential change reviewed by the district’s legal council.
The vote came after Oregon Jamboree representatives asked for permission to host a music and brews festival at the school district-owned parking lot north of the high school on April 15 and 16, 2023.
Two board policies currently prohibit alcohol on district property. Policy KGB reads that “No person on district property will consume, sell, give or deliver alcoholic beverages or controlled chemical substances.” Board Policy KG-AR reads that “alcohol, tobacco and drugs are prohibited on district property.”
In a letter to the board, presented at the Dec. 12 meeting, District Business Manager Kevin Strong wrote that the district’s “insurance agent has advised us that requiring an insurance certificate from an applicant serving alcohol on school grounds that names the district does not eliminate all risk for the district. If a claim occurs, it will impact our claims experience, which will impact our rates going forward.”
The letter continued by noting, “Our insurance agent is also concerned that a policy change could open the door to multiple events where alcohol is served. If so, the statewide insurance pool that we belong to may require us to purchase a separate liquor liability policy.”
It concluded: “According to our agent, who works with 80 different school districts, changing board policy to permit some alcohol use on school grounds is a path that most school districts avoid.”
Local resident Rachel Vandervort told board members that “I think that any change to the policy sets a dangerous precedent for future changes,” she said. “Alcohol is not the only legal substance in Oregon, so where’s the line for acceptable drug and alcohol use once zero tolerance is revoked?”
She said that “Mr. Strong mentioned at the October meeting that he was originally approached because this would work best for the event, and I don’t think what’s best for the Jamboree should factor into your policy decisions.
“What is changing this policy from zero tolerance to tolerance teaching the students?” Vandervort wondered aloud.
She stated that “The use of alcohol would be at the superintendent’s discretion. Mr. (Supt. Terry) Martin only has a three-year contract, so what’s stopping a future superintendent from abusing that power? A change in the policy opens the door for other requests. What about a holiday season with turkey, bingo and brews? PTO events aren’t school sponsored, could alcohol be in their future? I hope not.”
In other action, Strong presented an enrollment projection report, which the district was required to complete as part of its long range facility plan.
The report noted that throughout Oregon and the United States, many school districts are facing declining enrollment due to lower birth and immigration rates, but Sweet Home is growing.
When the first week of December enrollment is compared to any of the preceding years going back to 2000, grades K-6 in Sweet Home, including the Sweet Home Charter School, are at their highest enrollment this century.
“You don’t see that in our overall enrollment, because the high school over the past 15 to 20 years has declined substantially,” Strong said. “But if you just look at K-6, we’re right now at the highest point. We’re barely at the highest point, but it is at the highest point.”
He noted that junior high enrollment is at its highest level since 2006.
“One of the things that we expect to happen in the not too distant future is those students moving up into high school, and our high school continuing to see some growth.”
He noted that while at the nationwide and state level there is a decrease in birth rates, the rate in Sweet Home’s zip code is holding fairly stable. The report also mentioned the recent residential growth that has occurred in Sweet Home, and the town’s large inventory of buildable land.
“We do have capacity to absorb some additional students with our facilities, but the schools are expected to become increasingly stressed for space unless some extra classroom and auxiliary space is added,” the report read.
Martin said the district enrollment currently sits at 2,335 students, down six from the start of the school year, but still ahead of pre-pandemic numbers.
“That’s a good trajectory we’re on there,” Martin said.
Strong also reported that year-to-date spending through November is up just over $600,000 from year-to-date spending at the same time period last year.
“That is primarily due to labor costs,” he said. “Not only due to wage and salary increases, but also as enrollment has increased, we’ve added staff.”
Board members also:
– Unanimously approved Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funds to be used for classroom acoustics and lighting improvements at Hawthorne and Holley Elementary Schools.
“The objective here is to upgrade the lighting to a fixture similar to what we have at Foster Elementary, and also to put new acoustic ceiling tile in the classrooms,” Strong said.
The expected costs for the improvements are approximately $230,000 for Hawthorne and $75,000 for Holley.
– Unanimously approved using ESSER funds for an intercom system replacement at the high school, noting that the school’s existing intercom system is failing and there are some consistent classrooms where it’s not working. The expected cost of the upgrade is approximately $130,000.
– Unanimously approved using ESSER funds to expand safety communications in the district by purchasing a radio system for about $100,000.
– Unanimously approved using ESSER funds for an Oak Heights playground project. The PTC has raised about $28,000 towards the project, but Strong said the project is expected to cost about $60,000, so the ESSER funds would cover the difference.
– Unanimously approved about $60,000 of ESSER funds be used to construct fencing and gates at the high school, pending final design approval by the board..
– Unanimously approved the 2023-24 budget calendar, which sets the first budget committee meeting at 5 p.m. on Monday, May 8 in the district office. If needed, second and third budget committee meetings are scheduled for May 10 and 11.
– Approved a resignation from Jennie Gilbert, special education teacher at the high school, effective Nov. 14, 2022.