Schools
April 21
2022
11
School Board Report
At the March 14, 2022 School Board
Meeting:
Board Officially Introduces New Super-
intendent – Board Chair Stacey Pelster of-
ficially announced that Dr. James Helman
has been hired as the new Superintendent of
the District. Current Superintendent Aaron
Miller said he is already meeting with Dr.
Helman to work on the transition which will
occur June 30, 2022.
Board Approves 2022-23 Instructional
Calendar – The Board voted unanimously
to approve the presented 2022-23 Instruc-
tional Calendar which includes the first day
of school on September 6, a two week Win-
ter Break from December 19 through Janu-
ary 3, Spring Break from March 27 to April
3, with the last day scheduled for June 14.
The schedule includes 164 student contact
days.
Board Approves Administrative Contract
Extensions – Based on a recommendation
from the Superintendent, the Board voted
unanimously to approve three-year contract
extensions for all three principals in the Dis-
trict: Elementary Principal Michelle Eagle-
son, High School/Middle School Principal
Nathan Underwood, and Vice Principal
Rachel Wilson. The Board also approved
a one-year contract for Social Emotional
Learning Director Jamie Hansa, and a one-
year contract with Special Education Direc-
tor Susanne Myers.
Board Approves New Hires, Resignation,
Retirements – The Board unanimously
approved the hire of new teachers Allison
McLeod for 3 rd grade and Terri Ann Stavens
for 1 st grade, both effective immediate-
ly; the resignation of MS/HS Art Teacher
Kaitlyn Carr-Kiprotich, effective June 30,
2022; and the retirements of Food Service
Manager Marilyn Landers, effective July 1,
2022, and Youth Transition Specialist Beth
Kintz, effective June 30, 2022. In addition,
Superintendent Aaron Miller told the Board
School Nurse Heidi Brown has informed
the District that she will not be renewing her
contract when it ends on June 30, 2022.
Board Appoints Cockrell to Budget Com-
mittee – The Board voted unanimously to
appoint Janice Cockrell to the Budget Com-
mittee.
Superintendent Report – Superintendent
Aaron Miller told the Board current enroll-
ment is 554 after seven students either grad-
uated or obtained their GED.
Miller told the Board they will need
to decide whether or not to add the snow day
that occurred on April 11 to the end of the
school year, which is already scheduled to
run until June 20.
Miller told the Board he is solicit-
ing construction bids for the new Forestry/
CTE building. The building will be paid for
with grant funds and will house a saw mill,
other equipment, and a work area.
Principal Reports – Elementary Principal
Michelle Eagleson told the Board the Dis-
trict has received funding to hold Kinder-
camp this summer from August 8-12 and
August 15-19.
High School/Middle School Prin-
cipal Nate Underwood reported to the Board
the winners of The American Citizenship
Award which is designed to honor students
who inspire and encourage other students
to strive to be better citizens. Underwood
offered congratulations to 2020-21 Semes-
ter 2 Winner Cody Hathcoat and 2021-22
Semester 1 Winner Kortnie Adams. Ad-
ditionally, Cody Hathcoat, after winning
District, State, and Regional Competi-
tions, is now in the running for the Nation-
al Daughters of the American Revolution
Good Citizen Award and Scholarship.
Student Reports – Sydney Smith, rep-
resenting the Leadership Class, told the
Board the National Honor Society Food
Oregon’s Private Forest Accord continued from page 3
• New rules for beavers that reflect the criti-
cal role that beavers and beaver dams play
in supporting wildlife, including salmon
• A new stakeholder committee with con-
servation members that will work with an
Independent Research and Science Team to
advise the Board of Forestry on recommen-
dations for ongoing rule changes.
Negotiations on the Accord pro-
vided an opportunity on both sides to com-
promise. The group that convened to write
the Accord previously worked together to
successfully write new rules for aerial her-
bicide applications in Oregon, and chose to
build on that favorable outcome by tackling
Oregon’s forest practices with the drafting
of the Private Forest Accord. “The ability
to sit down and successfully hammer this
out when you have two opposing groups, is
really positive,” says John Krause, ODF’s
Stewardship Forester for Columbia County.
“Both groups had reasons to negotiate and
cooperate.”
“We didn’t get everything we
wanted at the negotiating table,” said Wild
Salmon Center’s Oregon Policy Director
Bob Van Dyk. “But this agreement is with-
out a doubt an enormous and positive step
for Oregon conservation.”
“The additional encumbrances are
not without pain for Roseburg and all pri-
vate timberland owners in Oregon, and that
was difficult to accept, particularly because
we are proud of our current practices and
the environmental protections they offer,”
said Eric Geyer, Roseburg Forest Product’s
Director of External Affairs and Strategic
Business Development. “But compromise
is always difficult. This process was par-
ticularly challenging given the long history
between the two groups, but the outcome
will ultimately provide a more stable and
certain future for Roseburg and for our in-
dustry in this state.”
Krause says the other thing that
was surprising to him in the Accord was
that it creates and defines the specific rules
that will be implemented. “Normally they
would give a framework for what they want
to see, which then goes to the Department
of Forestry and the Board of Forestry to be
interpreted. The Accord actually has tables
that sets distances for stream buffers, which
is good, because if it’s left up to the Board
of Forestry to interpret what the Accord
meant, it might not come out where the two
sides wanted it.”
“In commercial forestry, there has
to be a balance between making it economi-
cally feasible to keep forestland as forest-
land, while also protecting the resources
that are out there, fish, birds and wildlife,
and water quality,” says Krause. “So I
would say that, even though this is going
to upset some of the small forest landown-
ers, this is a step in the right direction when
it comes to expanding stream protections
while providing security for the timber in-
dustry.”
But the opportunity to compro-
Drive collected 800 pounds of food for Ver-
nonia Cares. Smith updated the Board on
what some classes are studying, and told the
Board students are again allowed to go on
field trips.
Grad Coach Update – Ashley Ward pro-
vided an update on activities taking place
to ensure students meet all requirements
for graduation, and to help students explore
careers. Ward told the Board about several
field trips students attended, speakers that
have come to the school, Service Saturdays
– an opportunity for students to complete
required Community Service hours, and
scholarship opportunities.
Vernonia School Board Meetings are
held on the second Thursday of each
month. The next meeting is scheduled
for May 12, 6:00 pm. Please check the
District’s website for updates/changes:
www.vernonia.k12.or.us .
VHS Varsity
Sports Schedules
Baseball
mise also creates new possibilities for two
opposing factions to find mutual areas of
understanding and the chance to heal old
wounds and begin working together, writes
Tim Hibbetts in an opinion piece in the Or-
egon Capital Chronicle. “The agreement
hashed out by timber companies and en-
vironmental groups portends a new com-
mitment to consultation in managing Or-
egon’s forest resources and protecting its
endangered species. More negotiation and
compromise, fewer ballot measure battles
and lawsuits. More science and mutual fact
finding, less distrust and dismissal of the
facts on the ground.”
Vernonia’s Voice is published
on the 1 st and 3 rd Thursday.
Look for our next issue on May 5.
Sat 4/23, TBD
Tue 4/26, 4:00 pm
Fri 4/29, 3:00/5:00 pm
Tue 5/3, 3:00/5:00 pm
Fri 5/6, 4:00 pm
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Nestucca (DH)
Gaston (DH)
@Gaston
Softball
Thr 4/21, 4:30 pm
Mon 4/25, 4:30 pm
Wed 4/27, 4:00 pm
Fri 4/29, 3:00 pm
Tue 5/3, 4:30 pm
Gaston @ Pac.U.
Faith Bible
@ Portland Christian
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Knappa
Track & Field
Thr 4/21, 3:00 pm
Sat 4/23, 10:30 am
Sat 4/30, 11:00 am
Thr 5/5, 4:00 pm
Sat 5/7, TBD
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Notice of Budget Committee Meeting
A public meeting of the Budget Committee of the Vernonia School District 47J, Columbia County, State of Oregon,
on the budget for the fiscal year July 1, 2022 to June 30, 2023, will be held at 1000 Missouri Street, Vernonia Oregon.
The meeting will take place on April 21, 2022 at 6:00 PM
The purpose of the meeting is to receive the budget message. This is a public meeting where deliberation of the Budget
Committee will take place.
An additional, separate meeting of the Budget Committee will be held to take public comment. Any person may appear at
the meeting and discuss the proposed programs with the Budget Committee. The meeting for public comment will be on:
Date: May 12, 2022 Time: 6:00 PM
Location: 1000 Missouri Street, Vernonia Oregon in the library upstairs
A copy of the budget document may be inspected or obtained on or after April 21,2022 at 1000 Missouri Street,
Vernonia Oregon, school district office, between the hours of 8:00 AM and 4:00 PM
150-504-073-1 (Rev 01-15)
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622 Bridge Street Vernonia, OR 97064
phone (503) 429-0880 -- fax (503) 429-0881
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