REGION
Thursday, February 17, 2022
East Oregonian
A3
Voters decide on school bond in May
CTUIR set to
receive payment
from landmark
opioid settlement
By ERICK PETERSON
East Oregonian
East Oregonian
MISSION — A payment
of $590 million is going to
Indian Tribes affected by the
opioid crisis. Some of that is
going to the Confederated
Tribes of the Umatilla Indian
Reservation near Pendleton.
The drug manufacturer
Johnson & Johnson and the
opioid distributors Ameri-
sourceBergan, McKesson
and Cardinal Health have
outlined a payment sched-
uled under the terms of a
proposed settlement filed
earlier this month, accord-
ing to a press release Tues-
day, Feb. 15, from CTUIR.
“The news of the settle-
ment is a big step in forward
movement on increased
resources for our communi-
ties that are effected by the
Opioid epidemic,” Yellow-
hawk CEO Aaron Hines said
in the press release. “Having
a voice in the conversation
is important for our tribal
communities. We continue
to have hope we can get our
community the help and
resources that are needed.”
The plaintiffs’ Tribal
Leadersh ip Com m it-
tee reported the Native
American population has
suffered some of the worst
consequences of the opioid
epidemic of any population
in the United States. For this
reason, tribal governments
have had to spend consid-
erable funds to cover the
costs of the crisis, including
increased costs for health
care, social services, child
welfare, law enforcement
and other tribal government
services.
“We are not solving the
opioid crisis with this settle-
ment, but we are getting
critical resources to tribal
communities to help address
the crisis,” said Steve Skikos
the attorney representing the
CTUIR in this case.
One study cited in the
settlement found Native
Americans have had the
highest per capita rate of
opioid overdose of any popu-
lation group in 2015. The
CTUIR filed suit against 14
distributors and manufactur-
ers in 2018.
One of the broader goals
in filing suit was to ensure
tribes are at the table to
represent its own inter-
ests, according to the press
release. In the tobacco
settlements of the 1990s,
tribes were not parties to
those cases. As a result, the
tobacco settlement did not
have any direct payment
for tribes. States instead
counted tribal populations
into the state’s numbers,
which bolstered their settle-
ments. Now, tribes are
parties at the settlement
table and securing direct
payments to provide trib-
ally driven services for our
community.
“ We a r e d e e p l y
concerned by the effect the
opioid epidemic is having
on our community,” Board
of Tr ustees Chair Kat
Brigham said in the release.
“We have seen the impact in
our programs. Yellowhawk
Behavioral Health, Children
& Family Services, our law
enforcement and our foster-
care systems are all deeply
affected by those struggling
with addiction. The board of
trustees has had a goal for
many years to end this crisis
and we are determined to do
so. We will use this funding
opportunity to start to heal
our families.”
All federally recognized
tribes in the U.S. will be able
to participate in the settle-
ments, even if they did not
participate in the initial liti-
gation. Tribes and tribal
organizations receiving
payments will be required to
use the money to deal with
the impacts of the opioid
epidemic in their commu-
nities.
Opioids are a class of
drugs that include the ille-
gal drug heroin, synthetic
opioids such as fentanyl,
and pain relievers available
legally by prescription, such
as oxycodone and morphine.
The misuse of and addiction
to opioids can lead to over-
dose and deaths. Heroin
and fentanyl overdoses are
driving the recent and rapid
increase in opioid-related
deaths throughout the U.S.,
including Indian Country.
BOARDMAN — Schools
in Boardman, Heppner and
Irrigon need an upgrade,
according to Dirk Dirk-
sen, the superintendent of
the Morrow County School
District. And the district is
due for a bond to pay for the
improvements.
“The last bond was 21
years ago,” he said Monday,
Feb. 14, at a meeting of the
district’s board of directors.
“The buildings, as far as the
upkeep and things like that,
has been excellent, but we
have a lot of older buildings.
They are feeling their age.”
The board supported the
proposal and voted to place
a general obligation bond
measure on the May 17 ballot.
A statement from the
district stated the bond
measure, if passed, would
raise $138 million. This
money would be supple-
mented with a matching $4
million grant from the Oregon
School Capital Improvement
Matching Program, for a total
of $142 million.
The bond would mature
in 20 years or less, accord-
ing to the district, which esti-
mated the bond rate at $2.67
per $1,000 of assessed prop-
erty value, although the actual
levy rate may differ. If the
measure passes, a taxpayer
who owns a house assessed at
Ben Lonergan/East Oregonian, File
Students work on constructing and finishing step stools
during a Nuts Bolts and Thingamajigs camp in July 2019
at Riverside High School in Boardman. The Morrow Coun-
ty School District Board of Directors on Monday, Feb. 14,
2022, voted to place a general obligation bond measure on
the May 17 ballot to raise $138 million to improve the dis-
trict’s schools.
$200,000 would pay approxi-
mately $534 per year.
Dating back several
decades, Dirksen said, the
schools do not meet modern
standards. The superinten-
dent said security needs
have changed. The current
expectation is for offices to
be placed at the entrance of
a school, where administra-
tors can keep an eye on people
as they enter. A remodel of
buildings would include relo-
cating offices, he said.
Fur ther renovations
would create separate spaces
for junior high and high
school students. Junior high
and high school students
would have their own locker
rooms and gymnasiums.
Other moder nizing,
which would be made
possible through the bond,
would update and fix elec-
trical, HVAC and plumbing
systems, he said.
“We have showers that
don’t work, and we have
bathrooms that need to be
refreshed,” Dirksen said.
Other shortcomings, which
he pointed out, include
limited electrical outlets. It
is not uncommon, he said,
for a classroom in his district
to have only two electrical
outlets. Some parts of some
buildings do not have proper
ventilation or heating, he said.
He said another focus
would be adding classrooms
to existing schools, especially
out in Boardman, where he
expects the greatest popu-
lation growth. Adding new
classrooms will keep the
district from having to add
modular buildings to their
schools, he said.
There would be no new
schools as a result of the bond,
Dirksen said. The improve-
ments made possible through
this bond would revamp
current buildings, doing all
of the things mentioned,
plus improving parking
and making the buildings
more accessible for disabled
students.
The district has plans to
distribute flyers, create an
explanatory video and share
information on the district
website and social media.
Dirksen said he is excited
about the possibilities for
improving his schools, espe-
cially since he is retiring soon.
This is his last school year.
“This is my 41st year, and
my entire career has been in
Morrow County,” he said.
He taught for 15 years
and was an administrator at
Riverside Jr./Sr. High School
in Boardman before becom-
ing the superintendent. He
said, after years of work for
the district, he would like to
see his schools move forward
in a positive way. This bond,
he said, creates good things
for future generations.
Morrow County school exclusion day is April 20
East Oregonian
SALEM — The Morrow
County School District is
among a handful of Oregon
districts to push back the
annual school exclusion day.
The Oregon Health
Authority in a press release
reported the deadline for
parents to provide vaccine
records of students is Wednes-
day, Feb. 16, except for seven
counties, including Morrow
County.
“We’re trying to get to
100% on this,” Dirk Dirk-
sen, Morrow County School
District superintendent, said.
By setting back the day, he
said, he feels families have
more time to get necessary
vaccinations.
OHA allowed local public
health authorities to set alter-
nate dates this year by which
parents must provide vaccine
records for their children or be
excluded from school. Due to
the challenges the COVID-19
omicron variant has presented
for local public health depart-
ments, schools and families,
exclusion day will be March
30 for schools in Doug-
las County and April 20 for
schools in Clackamas, Clat-
sop, Jefferson, Morrow, Mult-
nomah and Yamhill counties.
County health depart-
ments are asking families to
update the record at school or
day care when the child gets
their shots.
Under state law, all chil-
dren in public and private
schools, preschools, Head
Start and certified child care
facilities must have up-to-
date documentation on their
required immunizations or
have an exemption.
The COVID-19 vaccine
is not currently required for
children.
Children must have immu-
nizations for the following
diseases, or an exemption, to
be in compliance with state
school immunization laws:
diphtheria, tetanus, pertus-
sis, polio, measles, mumps,
rubella, hepatitis B, hepatitis
A, varicella and Hib.
If a child’s school and
childcare vaccination records
are not up to date on their
county’s exclusion day date,
the child will be sent home.
Parents seeking immu-
nizations for their children
should contact their health
care provider or local health
department or call 211Info —
just dial 211 or go to 211info.
org.
Many pharmacists can
immunize children age 7 and
older; contact your neighbor-
hood pharmacy for details.
LOCAL BRIEFING
Hermiston residents
asked to complete
broadband surveys
HERMISTON — The
clock is ticking on complet-
ing broadband internet
access surveys for Hermis-
ton.
Starting in January, resi-
dents were able to weigh in
on their internet service and
use. Residents with active
email addresses listed with
the city received invitations
to participate in the survey
on Jan. 26. The survey runs
for six weeks and closes at
the end of February.
For residents who did
not receive an invitation via
email to participate, they
can find links from the city
of Hermiston website that
directs users to the surveys
— one for individuals and
one for businesses. Byron
Smith, Her miston city
manager, said the survey
could encourage the direc-
tion of Hermiston’s future.
A press release from the
city explained the surveys
resulted from a partnership
between the city of Hermis-
ton and Strategic Networks
Group to “explore options
for connecting high-capac-
ity digital infrastructure
throughout city facilities.”
“The infrastructure could
be leveraged to also connect
residents, businesses and
institutions, while assist-
ing internet service provid-
ers in extending services
to currently underserved
areas,” the press release
st ates. “T h rough this
effort, the city is exploring
ways to encourage healthy
competition from internet
service providers, leading to
improved service and lower
costs for residents and busi-
nesses.”
Once the sur vey is
complete, Smith said its
results will be available
on the city of Hermiston
website.
The survey and additional
information is online at bit.
ly/3JxPY3e.
— EO Media Group
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