Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Columbia Gorge news. (The Dalles, OR) 2020-current | View Entire Issue (June 9, 2021)
14 Wednesday,June9,2021 Columbia Gorge News www.columbiagorgenews.com Local student arts programs funded through donations Jacob Bertram ■ By Columbia Gorge News Four arts programs at smaller schools in Klickitat County were the recent recipients of donations from the Northshore Community Foundation. Wishram, Lyle, Centerville and Klickitat schools were awarded $552.50 each last month to support their bud- ding arts programs through the local arts sponsorship program, whose board decided in April to allocate donations received from the Arts & Fusion event from 2019 to support young local artists. Tammara Tippel, Northshore Community Foundation executive director said it was "extreme- ly gratifying to be able to deliver these checks and to hear the excitement from both teachers and students. I learned how our $552.50 per school would provide creative growth experiences for children in my county and felt an array of emotions that came with the understanding of the impact." Established in 2016 and operated by the Mt. Adams Chamber of Commerce, the Northshore Community Foundation was created to foster awareness and inno- vation in Art, Agriculture, Education, Health and Sustainable Economy among our residents by providing grants, scholarships, educa- tional programs and events which feature and focus on these aspects. “Teaching Art is a pas- sion, and being able to carry out this important work is very important to me,” said Kristen Ringer, the secondary arts, and fourth- and fifth- grade teacher at Wishram High and Elementary School. “These funds will help us continue to increase the depth of our Arts program, and this donation is greatly appreciated.” At Wishram school, the In-house artist and paraeducator Jenn Armstrong poses for a group photo with ASB officers Carson Berdahl, Matt Gray, Layne Bruhn, and Evan Riley, as well as principal Kristin Cameron and Northshore Community Foundation executive director Tammara Tippel. Contributed photo arts program serves second- ary students, and with the funding received, Ringer said she plans to use it to offset the cost of a kiln. With the kiln, she said she’ll be able to enhance her students’ learn- ing experience and inspire them to continue learning about art. Donations from commu- nity partners are essential to small school districts, and can help us expand our course offerings,” Wishram Superintendent Mike Roberts said. “In rural and remote settings, our students face a significant opportunity gap that only the school can combat.” Klickitat School likewise will invest in a kiln, said Superintendent Brian Freeman, with the donation helping to offset the cost. "We appreciate the com- munity support providing more opportunities for our students to participate in the Arts,” Freeman said. Asked about a big dream idea for further investment in the school’s art program future, Freeman replied that the district would be inter- ested in investing in a photo lab, where “we could learn to develop film and have a Photography Lab Class.” Likewise, Lyle School District officials said the funding will be used to repair the kiln located at the school, and invest in multiple art supplies, construction and watercolor papers as well as printmaking and fiber art supplies. They also intend to publish comics that the stu- dents have been working on this spring, said Dallesport Elementary School Principal Lori Smith. "This generous support from the community allows us to expand arts opportuni- ties and experiences for our students, adding immea- surable value and pleasure to their lives. Ultimately, it means our students can dream a little bigger," Smith said. At Centerville School in central Klickitat County, Principal Kristin Cameron said the funds would be used for their yearly “Artist In Residence” art program, which normally sees a guest artist arrive and teach art ac- tivities to students. This year, due to COVID restrictions, Cameron said the program has been modified to include in-house artist and paraed- ucator Jenn Armstrong to provide students with art experience. Using a butterfly theme, students have re- cently been involved making flying origami butterflies with the help of Armstrong. “We will fly our butterflies at our School Picnic on June 2. She will then work with students and complete a mural on our boiler room wall; the wall that kids use at recess for wall-ball and such. Each student will have their own, personalized butterfly on the wall,” Cameron said. A major hurdle for schools, like many, is funding. At least two of the districts, including Lyle and Centerville, have noted that their annual bud- get for art activities are range from $2-300 a year, making the donations granted to the districts higher than what their budgets normally allot to the programs. “This funding helps us tackle the next rung of our whole school vision to rein- corporate the Arts into our students daily lives,” Roberts said. Legislature OKs $9.3 billion for schools after partisan debate Peter Wong ■ By Oregon Capital Bureau The Senate approved the budget, 23-6, on May 25. The excess collections, known as the “kicker,” were A two-year, $9.3 billion budget for state aid to public not mentioned during the House debate. schools is on its way to Gov. The $9.3 billion in state Kate Brown after a partisan funds will be combined with fight in the Oregon House. The House passed the bud- a projected $4.6 billion in get on a 36-20 vote, majority local property taxes for 197 school districts. The ratio is Democrats for and minority the reverse of what it was be- Republicans against, after Republicans failed to send it fore Oregon voters approved back to the Legislature’s joint a series of statewide property budget committee to add tax limits in the 1990s and $300 million for the two years shifted the burden of school starting July 1. operating costs from property The extra money, and taxpayers to state income tax- more, is likely to material- es, which account for more than 90 percent of the state ize anyway in a couple of general fund. (The school months. The state’s latest fund also gets Oregon Lottery economic and revenue proceeds and marijuana forecast, presented May sales taxes. Some money 19, projects $664 million in excess corporate income tax from Oregon’s new corporate collections — which under a activity tax, which lawmakers passed in 2019 and started in 2012 ballot measure go into 2020, also is included.) the state school fund. The Only the budgets of the third-quarter forecast, sched- Oregon Health Authority and uled for Sept. 22, will yield the Department of Human the actual number. Services, both of which get federal grants, are larger. Minority Leader Christine Drazan of Canby, said the aid budget should reflect the $9.6 billion advocated by GOP: More money the Oregon School Boards Brown originally proposed Association. “As we ask our schools to bring kids back to $9.1 billion in her 2021-23 have full in-person learning budget, which she unveiled Dec. 1, a slight increase from five days a week, they are going to be bombarded with $9 billion in the current unknowns,” Drazan said. two-year cycle that ends June 30. She proposed to tap “The need for them to have $200 million from the state’s the resources necessary to create an environment where education reserve, which these kids can be successful lawmakers had already withdrawn $400 million from cannot be overstated.” Rep. Greg Smith, a last year to balance the bud- Republican from Heppner get during the coronavirus who sits on the budget pandemic. But since then, committee, said boosting the overall budget picture the amount would be a true has improved because of bipartisan gesture in an increased projections of tax often-fractured House. collections from two subse- The May 14 vote of the quent economic and revenue forecasts, some savings from full budget committee was budget cuts, and $2.6 billion 21-1. Sen. Chuck Thomsen, in federal aid from President R-Hood River, was the lone Joe Biden’s pandemic recov- dissenter, and also opposed it May 25 when it came ery plan. up in the full Senate. One Seven Republican Republican was excused representatives, including from the committee vote. The motion to send the budget back to committee failed with two Democrats — Mark Meek of Oregon City and Marty Wilde of Eugene — joining 20 Republicans. Earlier in the day, Republicans attempted but failed on a procedural motion to put to a vote a separate bill committing Oregon’s 197 school districts to reopen fully for the 2021- 22 academic year that starts in a few months. of the education budget sub- committee, said. Rep. Dan Rayfield, a Democrat from Corvallis and co-leader of the Legislature’s joint budget panel, said about $6 billion of a project- ed $28 billion in general fund and lottery spending for the next two years is one-time money. He said he and McLain worked for four months to come up with the right figure for school aid. “It is our job as a legislature to find out what is the Goldilocks porridge in our budget that meets the Amount defended needs of our children, but also at the same time, is a Rep. Susan McLain, sustainable budget that we D-Forest Grove, said overall can continue to operate on,” education spending in the Rayfield said. new budget cycle is pro- Rep. Andrea Valderrama, jected at 51percent of the D-Portland, leads the David tax-supported general fund and lottery proceeds, and the Douglas School Board and is the newest member of the state school fund accounts Legislature, having taken her for 32.4 percent. District 47 seat on April 1 af- “We are creating record investments in public schools ter her predecessor resigned this year,” McLain, co-leader under pressure. TRASH TALK Q. We need help with event recycling. QA Any ideas? Heather, Hood River A. Heather, our program does offer free basic assistance to event managers to help them plan for event waste reduction and recycling. We also lend Clearstream event recycling receptacles for diverting redeemable bottles and cans. And for very small functions (15-30 people), we lend out “party buckets” with durable cups, plateware and cutlery. questions to: (541)-506-2636 www.tricountyrecycle.com