Spilyqy Tyrooo, Warm Springs, Oregon
October V, 2002
COCC cuts impact Warm Springs
The Oregon State Legislature, due to a budget shortfall, is slashing
funding for community colleges statewide. The X arm Springs Tribal
Education Center, branch to Central Oregon Community College,
is feeling the economic blow this school year.
"We're seeing cuts of about 50 percent." said John Hicks, Di
rector of the Tribal Education Center in Warm Spring, "Up until
spring we had between eleven to thirteen classes offered online or
through microwave delivery. This quarter we have six."
Warm Springs students also will not have writing and math avail
able in the same quarter.
"We're only offering one of each, each quarter." said Hicks of
the new cuts.
"We're not turning people away yet, but people have less op
tions." he added.
Forty staff position cuts throughout COCC schools are antici
pated by next June. Educational programs and staff changes will
more apparent in the next school year.
The COCC Tribal Education Center has been in existence for
five years. In the last two years, Hicks estimated, student numbers
have doubled from 50 to 100 per quarter. He estimates they serve
600 to 700 students per year in Warm Springs.
The center is part of the Distance Learning Program. The
majority of classes are microwave delivered or accessed online.
Microwave delivered classes are television broadcasted classes in
which students can interact with teachers via microphones. Warm
Springs COCC offers one class with an in-class instructor.
Online and microwave delivered classes greatly reduce costs
for both the school and students. With this program students do
not have to drive to Bend from Warm Springs. COCC doesn't
have to fund teachers to travel to Warm Springs.
"It's a lot cheaper this way." said Hicks.
Education center offers new program
COCC at Warm Springs is offering a 58-credit program de
signed for initial enrollment once per year in the fall. An informa
tional meeting will be held at 10 a.m., Friday, Oct. 18 at the Tribal
Education Center, Training room, 1110 Wasco St.
The Addictions Studies program trains individuals in the knowl
edge, attitudes and skill needed for employment in the drug and
alcohol treatment field as entry-level counselors working under
supervision in treatment centers.
It is designed to prepare the student to take the Oregon "Certi
fied Alcohol and Drug Counselor 1" Exam upon completion of
the coursework and 1000 hours of supervised practicum. The
program also provides coursework in the addictions field to other
human service and criminal justice workers who help addicted
persons and their families.
The course can be completed in four terms if the student has
the minimum skills upon entrance and is able to successfully com-
Sharing the vision
O .-so
L
Stop
ONE
it mind ' AhiHa
Dave McMechanSpilyay
The Tribal Public Safety Branch last week marched through Warm Springs, as a means of
raising community awareness of the problem of domestic violence. The march began at the
Office of Victims of Crime, proceeded down Warm Springs Street, down Hollywood Boulevard,
up Kot-Num and over to the IHS Clinic. October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month.
Personnel
plans for
e-application
Warm Springs Reservation
personnel is formulating an e
application for the Warm
Springs website.
Soon tribal members and the
general public will be able to
apply for tribal government jobs
on-line.
The advantage is applicants
can apply for jobs twenty-four
hours, seven days a week, said
Benny Heath, director of per
sonnel. Applicants' from out-of state
can also apply via email
"But we still need to work out
the kinks." said Heath, about
when it will be available.
Personnel will make an an
nouncement in in Spilyay when
the e-application is finished.
School: Focus on attendance and testing scores
(Continued from page 1 )
will increase during each of the
next three school years reach
ing at least 75 percent by June,
2005.
The Jefferson Country
Middle School and Madras
High School have attendance
rates that have fallen below 90
percent the last five years,
Attendance at the Warm
Springs Elementary School has
been lower too, according to
Principal Dawn Smith.
In the year 2001-2002 at
Warm Springs Elementary, of
the 329 enrolled students, the
average daily attendance was
only 294. The total count of ab
sence was 6,096, with 3,737
tardies.
In the elementary school
2002-2003 school improvement
Smith thinks the new district
goals will help tackle these prob
lems in a more constructive
way.
"I think the goals are right
on. There are some definite dis
parities between the ethnic
groups that need to be looked
at. To address these problems
sub-groups need to be looked
at"
Each school will use the new
statistics to come up with their
own plan on how to batde these
issues. The district is pursuing
grants to help finance these
goals. The district approved a
donation of $2,500 for Madras
High School and the middle
school from H.A.A.B.L.A. The
funds are to be used for im
provement of school attendance.
(I think the goals
are right on. There
are some definite
disparities between the
ethnic groups that
need to be looked at.
To address these
problems sub-groups
need to be looked at. "
Dawn Smith
Principal, Warm
Springs Elementary
significant funds.
Refinancing the middle
school construction bond saved
the school approximately
$600,000 over an 11 year pe
riod. The PDRS bond was closed
and refinanced at 5.6 percent.
This action will save the district
an impressive $3.3. million over
the next 28 years.
Forty of the 198 districts
made this refinancing decision.
Supt. Riley will meet with
tribal officials on Oct.30 to dis
cuss the revisions on the pend
ing lease agreement between the
509-J district and the Confed
erate Tribes for the new Warm
Springs school.
Due to state budget shortfalls
and statewide recession, plans
for the new school have been
delayed.
plan, a decrease in absences to
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to build basic skills and enroll on a part-time basis. " ' ' rict gal of 90 percent atten- 1 problems to see these numbers grow so lslative action, the project is-de-
i part-
There are at least two addictions courses offered per quarter
that require only minimum basic skills, Students can choose to
progress with one or two courses per quarter while simultaneously
earning the required practicum hours.
These alternative approaches would require more than four
quarters to finish. Students will be encouraged to work closely
with an advisor to develop an effective course plan.
Reservation Halloween party planned
The annual Warm Springs Great Pun'kin Party and Scarecrow
Contest are happening next week.
This family event set for 6 to 8 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 24, at the
Community Center Social Hall.
Families should bring a pumpkin, carving knife, spoon, pencil
or marker, and a plastic bag.
For information call Carol Allison at 553-3243.
Photo exhibit solicits entries
The Bend Public Library Art Committee is sponsoring a juried
exhibit, "The Art of Photography," opening Nov. 7, and continu
ing through Feb. 3, 2003.
Entries should be delivered to the Hutchinson Conference
Room in the library on Nov. 4, between the hours of 3 and 6 p.m.
Minimum size is 16 by 20 inches, framed. All work must be
securely framed and ready to hang with wire. Work may be for
sale, but all sales are directly between the buyer and the photogra
pher. For more information, call Kay Bauman at 389-8392.
Fire regs lifted for machinists
Fire regulations restricting when industrial operators and wood
cutters can operate machinery on Central Oregon federal land
were lifted last week.
Central Oregon Fire Management Services officials placed the
Ochoco and Deschutes National forests, and the Princvillc Dis
trict of the BLM under Industrial Fire Precaution Level I after
recent weather lessened fire danger.
Halloween carnival to be held
The annual Warm Springs I Ialloween Carnival will be held from
5 till 9 p.m. on Halloween night, Thursday, Oct. 31.
Registration forms at the Community Center office until Oct.
28.
Booths may begin setting up in the gym at 3 p.m. on Halloween.
Registration forms can be picked up at the community center.
Museum offers basket weaving class
A two-day workshop on Klickitat basket weaving, featuring
notable basket weaver Nettie Jackson, is scheduled for next month
at The Museum at Warm Springs.
The workshop will be held from 9 a.m. till 4 p.m., Saturday and
Sunday, Nov. 9 and 10, in the museum Education Room. Fee is
$45 per person,
To reserve a spot, call the Education Program at the museum.
Ask for Rosalind Sampson, Education Coordinator. The number
is 553-3331.
dance.
Student achievements in
reading and math at the elemen
tary school are on an upward
trend, but are still below the 75
percent passing benchmark.
Warm Springs Elementary plans
to increase third grade students'
meeting and exceeding the
benchmarks in reading and math
to 75 percent in the 2002-2003
school year.
The 509-J district board pre
sented their first estimate for the
next fiscal school year. If the
Jan. 28 school ballot proposal
passes, the district will have $1 .3
million cash on hand, to cover
some of the cuts in the next fis
cal school year. The desired
amount to have on hand is $1.5
million.
"If we don't," said district su
perintendent Phil Riley, "then
grow
that doesn't happen."
These figures were also based
on the assumption that the dis
trict will not have to make a
Warm Springs school lease pay
ment in this fiscal year. The Jan.
29 vote will decide whether or
not to approve a statewide in
come tax surcharge for three
years.
The district refinanced two
bonds that will save taxpayers
layed. It is subject to how the
economy is doing and the stock
markets. Right now we are a vic
tim of the economy." said Julie
Quaid, manager Warm Springs
Essential Education.
The Confederate Tribes and
509-J district would be obligated
to pay $300,000 per year for the
next twenty years on a loan for
the new Warm Springs school
when construction begins,
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