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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (May 3, 2017)
REGION Wednesday, May 3, 2017 East Oregonian Page 3A HERMISTON School district talks budget By JAYATI RAMAKRISHNAN East Oregonian Staff photo by E.J. Harris North Hill abuzz with pollinators A swarm of honeybees fly around an arborvitae bush at the corner of Northwest Despain Avenue and 10th Street on Tuesday in Pendleton. HERMISTON Judge Hill promoted to Brigadier General By JADE MCDOWELL East Oregonian Colonel Daniel J. Hill of Hermiston will soon be Brigadier General Hill. Hill, a Umatilla County circuit court judge, will be promoted to Assistant to the Chief Counsel of the National Guard Bureau. He will serve as an adviser to Judge Advocate General of the Army starting June 1. Hill has been serving as State Judge Advocate, Hill the top legal posi- tion in the Oregon National Guard, since 2015. He said he will be able to fulfill his new national posi- tion duties part-time from Hermiston while continuing to serve as a circuit court judge. On occasions that the National Guard job does require travel, the Oregon Judicial Department will provide someone to fill in during Hill’s absence so that the work of the court is not disrupted. As assistant to the Chief Counsel, Hill said his job duties will include being a liaison between various parts of the Guard’s legal system and interactions with the Active Component and the U.S. Army Reserve, working on Judge Advocate management policy, super- vision and rating of National Guard military judges, reviewing professional misconduct complaints and other military law matters. “It’s kind of a facilitator role,” he said. Hill said he will be the first person to do the job in its current form, so it is “going to be kind of interesting to see what I get handed.” General Michael L. Stencel, The Adjutant General for Oregon, stated in an email announcing the promotion that Hill is an example of a “true citi- zen-soldier.” “Col. Hill’s selection is a testament not only to his performance in the Oregon National Guard, but also to his proven abilities and years of service as a circuit court judge in Umatilla County,” Stencel wrote. A news release from the 6th District Circuit Court congratulated Hill and called the new position and rank a “well-deserved promotion.” Oregon Supreme Court Chief Justice Thomas Balmer congratulated Hill as well. “That is a great honor, but if your service in the National Guard is anything like your service in OJD, not a surprise at all!” he wrote. “We are proud of you and wish you every success in your new duties.” Hill said the promotion is a “good career capstone” and he looks forward to the challenge. “I think it’s going to be a change of pace, looking at the world differently, from a higher policy level,” he said. “I’m looking forward to the different perspective.” Hill graduated from Hermiston High School, obtained an associate’s degree from Blue Mountain Community College, a bach- elor’s degree from Oregon State University and a law degree from Willamette University and a master’s degree from the U.S. Army War College in 2014. He went into active duty for the Army as a first lieutenant with the Judge Advocate General’s Corps in 1987 and joined the National Guard in 1991. ——— Contact Jade McDowell at jmcdowell@eastorego- nian.com or 541-564-4536. Morrow County sheriff restructures command East Oregonian Morrow County Sheriff Ken Matlack announced Tuesday an overhaul of his department’s command staff that includes four promotions to lieutenant. “The driving force behind the move is to be more fiscally responsible and decrease the overtime budget, while operating as efficiently as possible,” he said in the written statement. Terry Harper, a 28-year veteran of the sheriff’s office, is the new operations lieutenant in charge of the criminal and patrol divi- sions, courthouse security, the search and rescue team and the county’s off-road vehicle park. And Melissa Ross serves as the new administrative lieutenant. She worked as a sheriff’s office dispatcher from 1999- 2000 and has been with the agency since 2005. She will oversee the civil unit, concealed handgun permits and records management. She also takes on the office’s new role of public information officer. Kristen Bowles steps up to communications lieutenant in charge of a sergeant and eight deputies of the commu- nications/9-1-1 division. Dan Robbins will serve as the corrections lieutenant, supervising community corrections deputies and the community service director, who collectively oversee 115 offenders. Brian Snyder moves up from detective to criminal sergeant to direct crim- inal investigations, court security staff, the school resource officer and the detectives with the Blue Mountain Enforcement Narcotics Team. And Ivy Zimmerman is the new civil sergeant in charge of the civil unit and patrol deputies while they perform civil duties. Matlack also congrat- ulated his staff on their promotions. The Hermiston School District held its first budget meeting Monday and discussed some proposed changes, but no layoffs or loss of instructional hours despite a likely reduction in state funding. Superintendent Fred Maiocco presented the budget message to the board and budget committee, which includes seven community members. Some of the highlights he mentioned for the next year’s budget included keeping current staffing levels, continuing to provide professional development and training, and providing additional support for students that need more help. The district will main- tain the full school calendar, without taking away any instructional days. “These are difficult times for public schools,” Maiocco said. “But we have done our best.” The district’s balanced budget proposal totals $164,478,089 for the 2017- 2018 school year. That number is an $82.9 million increase over the past year. The most significant change to the budget is the allotment of $72 million for potential bond expenditures, if the bond measure passes on May 16. The general fund, budgeted at $61.5 million, an increase of nine percent over the past year. “It’s easier to take it away (if the bond doesn’t pass) than to not have it, so we’ve included it for now,” Maiocco said. Maiocco acknowledged that it will be a difficult budget year, with a state- wide schools deficit of $1.6 billion. Challenges, he said, will include attracting and retaining qualified staff, more crowded classrooms, an increase in PERS costs and reductions to federal grant funding. Director of Business Services Katie Saul went over the district’s various funding sources, and noted some that will not arrive this year. Among the funds that will be discontinued are the Farm to School Grant, which was used to fund farm-fresh produce at the schools, as well as the College and Career Readiness fund, which was designated to help with visits to local colleges and universities. Other things that were discontinued were the Alternative Education Innovative Learning Center (ILC), which was absorbed into Hermiston High School earlier this school year. Saul also noted some new funds that were added to next year’s budget. Measure 98, which allots $800 for each high schooler in the state, will be included in the budget, although Saul said the district does not know if it will receive the full amount for each student due to the statewide budget shortfall. Saul also went over the district’s expected revenue and expenditures. The bulk of the school’s revenue is made up of the state school fund and property taxes. Some of the district’s budgeted expenditures will include the food service fund, which receives both federal and state money, and the textbook reserve fund. The district will also budget for a planning principal and secretary for a new school on Theater Lane. In the event that the bond passes, the district will hire staff to oversee the construc- tion and begin planning operations for that school. There will be another budget committee meeting on Monday, May 15. A public budget hearing will be held Monday, June 12, after which the school board may adopt the budget. PENDLETON Yoshioka takes charge for next two months serves as the director of curriculum, instruction and Besides the new title, assessment, said he’ll make Tuesday didn’t seem to any decisions that need to be mark too many changes for made, but the solutions to the Matt Yoshioka, the newly district’s pressing issues have either already been appointed interim set in motion or will superintendent be addressed by the for the Pendleton district’s next top School District. administrator. Although the Unless the school board unan- Oregon Legis- imously voted to lature comes have him lead the through with more district for the next funding, Yoshioka two months, Yosh- said the planned ioka sat in the audi- layoffs of 10 ence at the board Yoshioka district employees meeting rather than the superintendent’s chair at will proceed as planned. The reduction in force the center of the dais. And when the meeting includes cutting a coordi- ended, he returned to his nator and director position usual office at the end of at the district office — Yosh- the hall, passing the vacated ioka said he couldn’t reveal superintendent’s office near their identities until they were informed of the deci- the building entrance. Yoshioka said his job as sion later this week — but interim superintendent is to reassigning their duties will act as a steward, keeping the belong to the new superin- district running until a new tendent and not Yoshioka. Similar to the budget superintendent takes over situation, the responsibility July 1. Yoshioka, who usually of creating the strategic plan, East Oregonian a document that will offer a vision of the district’s future, still lies with the school board and the community committee meeting to put it together. Yoshioka is keeping the superintendent’s seat warm after former superintendent Andy Kovach abruptly left the district Friday. Kovach was expected to stay on as superintendent through June after announcing his resigna- tion in February. The school board will be interviewing the superin- tendent finalists Wednesday evening and expect to select a candidate by the end of the week. The candidates are Aaron Chavez, superintendent of the Wahluke School District in central Washington, Chris Fritsch, assistant superin- tendent of Longview Public Schools in southwestern Washington, J.T. Stroder, superintendent of Gardiner Public Schools in Montana, and Jim Wagner, superinten- dent of Kimball Area Public Schools in Minnesota. BUTTE CHALLENGE SATURDAY , MAY 6 , 2017 5K Run, 5K Walk, 10K Run, Kid's Butte Scoot All races begin & end at Hermiston's Butte Park DRAWINGS • FUN FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY Online registration & race information at WWW.BUTTECHALLENGE.COM All proceeds benefi t THE HERMISTON CROSS COUNTRY PROGRAM THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!
