The Nov. 14 School Board meeting featured a performance by local students participating in the Junior Orchestra of Yamhill County (see video and story). In addition to a rousing orchestral performance, so much more happened, including a tech presentation, a presentation by the School Resource Officers, Oregon School Board Association (OSBA) elections, Budget Committee member selections, announcement of the 2024-25 budget schedule, adult meal price changes, Student Investment Account Act funds, and two travel approval requests for two talented athletic teams.
Get a quick overview below or watch the meeting video on YouTube:
- Tech in the School District: A couple of key points from Technology Director Scott Marlin’s presentation include that there have been three new hires in the past few weeks, and one staff member is on leave.
- School Resource Officers (SRO): Officers Jeff Moreland and Jay Stearns shared in their presentation that there is a new SRO (Stearns) and that they are reviving the DARE program in local schools. Stearns will be teaching 312 fifth-graders eight classes starting in December. The classes will encompass not only the topic for which DARE is known, helping children steer clear of drugs and alcohol, but will also include information on how to more effectively handle decision-making, stress, responsibility, and bullying.
- OSBA Elections: The local school board has a vote in OSBA elections which consists of members from other districts all over the state. The local School Board gave their support to Kraig Albright of Dayton for Board of Directors Position 13 in Yamhill/Polk County. Albright was unopposed. The local School Board postponed to a later meeting voting on whether to support Ed Dressel of Dallas, Susan Graham of Central, or Warmbier of McMinnville for Legislative Policy Candidate Position 13 in Yamhill/Polk County.
- Budget Committee: The School Board approved Claire Hertz as the new Budget Committee member for Zone 4. Hertz has served in administrative positions for large school districts. Read more about Hertz on her member profile on the Association of School Business Officials Global School Business Network website.
- Budget Schedule: The Budget Committee calendar is available on the School District website.
- Adult Meal Prices: The prices for an adult meal in the School District will increase from $3.00 to $3.50 for breakfast and from $4.00 to $4.50 for lunch.
- Student Investment Account Act (SIA): The School District received a $3,563,239 SIA allocation in 2022-23. The district has used the funds to improve academics and student health and safety. The funds support several staff positions, including counselors and educators.
- Travel Requests:
- The Girls Varsity Basketball Team will be traveling to San Diego, California for one week in December to compete in the San Diego Surf N’ Slam Holiday Tournament, a national event. The NHS Boosters will offer fundraisers to help the players pay for airfare.
- The Varsity Cheerleading Team will be heading to Anaheim, California for one week in February to compete in the USA Nationals. There will also be fundraisers to support this team’s airfare.
The next regular session of the School Board will be on Dec. 12 and will include a discussion of the Early Literacy Grant. The first regular session of 2024 will be on Jan. 9. Meetings begin at 6:00 p.m. and are held at the District Office and are also available via Zoom. Meeting details are posted on the main page of the School District website under Latest News and Updates.
Photo: The School Board, School District administrators, and Student Board Representatives listen to a presentation by the School Resource Officers about the revival of the DARE program. Classes will start in December.