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About The nugget. (Sisters, Or.) 1994-current | View Entire Issue (June 10, 2020)
Wednesday, June 10, 2020 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon SCHOOLS: District uncertain of pandemic impact on budget Continued from page 1 yet-to-be-revealed impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. Swisher expressed some potential pros and cons as consequences of the virus. Most school funding is based on enrollment, and Swisher speculated that it is possible that families seek- ing to move to less populated areas after experiencing the virus may choose to come to Sisters. He also spoke of work being done at the county level with the Deschutes County Planning Commission, of which he is a member, regard- ing vacation rentals, noting that many family homes in the area have been converted to short term rentals. If some restrictions on these dwellings are put into place, some could revert to full time residences for families, which could bol- ster enrollment in the school district. A tremendous amount of construction of family dwell- ings, though slowed in recent months, continues as well. A concern raised by Swisher included whether families might choose to move to online charter schools in light of the virus, which would impact enroll- ment, unless families chose to engage with the Sisters Educational Options (SEO) for online homeschooling. He said, <I think this pan- demic will have some perma- nent long-lasting effects and I think for the board and the administration will need to take a look down the road as to how might the changes that we have gone through (doing distance learning) affect how we do business as normal while keeping robust that per- sonal connection.= Following Swisher 9s comments, board chair Jay Wilkins underscored that budget issues have <certainly changed a lot= in the last few months and that everyone is anxiously awaiting word from the governor9s office in the upcoming weeks regarding guidance for schools. Business manager Sherri Joseph reported that enroll- ment in the district stands at 1,134 and that the district has seen an overall decrease in expenditures since the lock- down of schools, but didn9t have a specific estimate, though she estimated as much as $100,000, mostly due to savings in substitute teaching, travel, and athletic costs. Curt Scholl estimated the savings could be as much as $200,000, but it is hard to know without fuller analysis. Scholl began his report by thanking the teachers, includ- ing the union leadership, for their work with him on navi- gating decision making that included calendar issues for this year and next year. He said he doesn9t anticipate needing to consider furlough days for next school year in the district and anticipates being able to keep staffing levels intact. Financial questions remain until schools hear more from Salem, including whether the Legislature is called for a spe- cial session to grapple with the state budget. <Once we get some real numbers (from the state) about the percentage of cut, we will be able to start sharing that and make the appropriate opera- tional reductions,= he said. As to how school will look when fall rolls around, Scholl said, <The devil9s in the details= in regard to health and safety precautions related to COVID-19. <There will be challenges I am sure along the way, but we have a good team so we will keep maneuvering as we get guidance,= he said. Wilkins, acknowledging that in-person education is the best model, asked for Scholl9s opinion of how well-prepared the district is to provide qual- ity distance learning educa- tion if it is required. Scholl explained that he believes our elementary school has adequate materi- als for core subjects, but the challenge becomes greater in the upper grades and that the district would need to access more comprehensive online options for students. <Our staff has been doing a good job in the current cir- cumstance, but my concern is the inequity for some of our students when it comes to distance learning,= he said. <Because we had the technol- ogy and staff we were able to pivot fairly quickly to dis- tance learning.= Scholl believes enrollment will remain steady and likely grow in part due to the closure of Sisters Christian Academy, the influx of students from Tumalo after the Redmond School District ended grades 6-8 there, and continued con- struction of family homes in the district. Joan Warburg, Sisters Elementary Principal, reported that Kindergarten Round-Up is underway with about 30 students signed up thus far and that the grant submitted for the Pre-School Promise has been put on hold by the state for the time being. Sisters Middle School Principal Alison Haney shared her thoughts on how much better it would be for her students to be in regular classrooms during these trou- bling times to help compre- hend and process what is hap- pening. She announced virtual celebrations June 10 and June 15 for middle school awards and eighth grade promotion. Sisters High School Principal Joe Hosang explained plans for remedia- tion and completion of unfin- ished courses for high school students during the summer, stating that the goal is for all students to be finished up so as to not start next year in a deficit. Scholl praised the staff, building leaders, the commu- nity and board for their work and support. <It9s a lot of moving parts as we go and I think everyone has kept the kids as their focus and I am very impressed with the response,= he said. An organizational board meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, July 8 at 6 p.m. likely to be conducted once again via Zoom. THE ARENDS & SCOTT REALTY GROUP Discover the Diff erence Phil Arends Chris Scott Principal Broker Broker 541-420-9997 REOPENING: Phase 2 may last for a considerable time Continued from page 1 measures in place, can reach a COVID-19 occupancy limit of up to 250 people. " O ffices can begin reopening and employees can return to workplaces with physical distancing and other measures in place, although remote work is still strongly recommended whenever possible. " Increased travel is allowed throughout Oregon, though staying local is still recommended to prevent overloading county health systems. " Restaurants and bars will have curfews extended to midnight. " Pools and sports courts will be allowed to reopen under new guidance. " Indoor and outdoor activities such as bowling, batting cages, and mini golf, will be allowed to reopen under guidance. " Recreational sports can resume in a limited form, under strict physical distanc- ing guidance. <Approval for Phase 2 is a positive indicator of our collective efforts to limit the spread of COVID-19 in Deschutes County,= said Deschutes County Commissioner Phil Henderson. <We heard dur- ing the State9s press confer- ence on Wednesday that our state has stabilized and Phase I reopening has not led to a resurgence in cases. While moving into Phase 2 is good news, we still need our com- munity to continue being 29 smart about maintaining physical distance, practicing good hygiene and wearing masks so that we can keep our communities healthy and help Central Oregon9s busi- nesses stay open.= On Saturday, Oregon Health Authority confirmed 146 new and presump- tive cases of COVID-19 as, bringing the state total to 4,808. Saturday9s COVID- 19 case count marked the highest daily count since the onset of the pandemic in Oregon. Deschutes has reported 135 cases. The case count in the 97759 zip code remains at zero. Counties approved to enter Phase 2 must continue to meet Phase 1 metrics, including: " Declining disease prevalence. " Having an adequate number of contact trac- ers (trained and available), including people reflective of the communities they serve. " Establishing and main- taining adequate testing, iso- lation and quarantine facili- ties, sufficient hospital surge capacity, and sufficient per- sonal protective equipment supply. The State is also moni- toring the following pub- lic health indicators to inform recommendations on reopening: " Counties need to dem- onstrate that they are able to trace new cases within 24 hours. " As counties see new cases, they must be able to identify where they are com- ing from at least 70 percent of the time. " Counties cannot be experiencing a significant increase in cases. Superior Escrow Execution Ultimate Service 541-588-6614 phil.arends@cascadesir.com chris.scott@cascadesir.com Licensed in the State of Oregon Licensed in the State of Oregon Stop by and visit with Tiana Van Landuyt & Shelley Marsh. 220 S. Pine St., Ste. 102 | 541-548-9180 PENDING Only 9 days on the market! 16972 Royal Coachman Drive, Sisters 3 bedroom, 2.5 bath, 3,309 sq. ft. on the golf course at Aspen Lakes. Custom home with log beam accents, fl oor-to- ceiling stone fi replace, gourmet kitchen. 1,900 sq. ft. RV garage, resort- like outdoor landscaping and lots of Aspen Lakes recreational amenities. MLS#220101682 $1,250,000 Khiva Beckwith - Broker 541-420-2165 khivarealestate@gmail.com www.khivasellscentraloregon.com Mayfi eld Realty 809 SW Canyon Dr., Redmond