Superintendent's End of Summer Report
August 19, 2010 — As the end of the summer period nears, most of the school community begins to get ready for the beginning of the school year while they also try to squeeze in the little bit of vacation that is left.
At the same time as students and parents finish with summer plans and activities, school and contract personnel are very busy readying buildings and school grounds. Additionally, dedicated teachers, librarians, and recreation staff, and the students they serve, work together to finish up their summer programs.
Deserving special note at the end of this year’s summer period are major repairs and renovations occurring to support this coming year’s school program. These repairs are possible due to the District's eligibility for interest free bonds made available by the Oregon Department of Education. The District is fortunate to have these interest free bonds available to help maintain and/or improve its facilities, which are funded using State General Fund dollars allocated to schools on an ADM basis. It is estimated that using a majority of the funds to install high efficiency HVAC systems in both schools, and replacing existing windows with high quality insulating types and superior sash repairs, full cost recovery should occur in ten to fifteen years.
The summer months have not be without their challenges, however, with the most important being Oregon’s inability to provide promised levels of school support through the end of the 2009-2011 biennium. This failed commitment first surfaced with an across the board cut in state revenue of nearly one billion dollars, resulting in a Falls City School District loss of $120,885. This financial loss was compounded by enrollment declines between 08-09 and 09-10 school years, and by increased costs in operations, requiring the district to cut administrative, teacher, and program expenditures for the 2010-11 school year.
Even with this grim financial picture for Oregon’s public schools (including the latest message from Governor Kulongoski indicating further losses in revenue and reductions in State School Support), the District is able to maintain its membership in the CCRLS (regional branch library system), offer after school enrichment support for children, athletics, and pre-K services in addition to its regular public school program. Falls City Elementary School continues to support the high achievement of students, pre-K through the 8th grade, and Falls City High School starts its new year with added counseling support, in-school instruction in Spanish (thank you Jessica Mendes), and a no bells afternoon period from 12 noon to 3:05 designed to meet students' individual educational needs in a learning lab environment. Our proficiency based high school program will be led into its second year by our senior teaching staff, Art Houghtaling, Gretchen Kerchner, and Mike Rodriguez, as well as our new teachers Jessica Mendes for Language Arts and PE/Health teacher Kelsey Verhaar. School counseling and Dean of Student services returns from a one year hiatus with a new employee, Betty Sledge, and all school administration will be provided by Deputy Superintendent Aaron Hale and Superintendent Peter Tarzian. Falls City Schools also has a new Athletic Director, Dennis Sickles.
As the beginning of school (September 7th) approaches, the board and school community will receive more information regarding our programs and supports for children. This year, our new counselor/Dean of Students Betty Sledge, Mr. Hale, and myself will want to meet with all parents to ensure they understand our goals for elementary and high school education. In our meetings with high school parents and their students, we will want to pay special attention to the proficiency program and the approval by parents of each student’s planned pathway.
Finally, although there appears to be growing concern in the community regarding the stability and viability of Falls City School District, as your retiring superintendent of 12 years (I will fully retire June, 2011), let me assure you that such is NOT the case. The District operates on a tight budget, but with the help of the local taxpayers, it still has a good deal of flexibility regarding its core educational programs that Oregon requires of every public school. This is not to say that the patrons of the District may not be confronted with some hard choices in the future. But as a long term superintendent of your very small, rural school system, I am very proud of the community and its unyielding willingness to support its schools in the face of great adversity. Your have a great group of adults tirelessly working with your children, and it is clearly a result of the community’s resolve and leadership. I believe wholeheartedly that the community will maintain and seek to improve on the educational opportunities it provides for Falls City’s future citizens.
Things for subsequent reports:
- Ongoing tracking of Oregon’s financial conditions, short and longer term
- Evaluation of the district’s management structure, including a 360 degree survey
- Building administrative structure - temporary and long term
- Adoption procedures for curriculum
- Graduation standards, accelerated learning paths
- Policy revision schedules
- Grants and partnerships with Western Oregon University and Oregon State University
- Increased instructional time for students
- Staff in-service support and training
- Personal Education Plans, their purpose and value
- Revisiting Expanded and Extended Options programs
Respectfully Submitted,
Dr. Peter M. Tarzian, Superintendent
Falls City School District