COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL JUNE 28, 2017 9A
SLSD reviews superintendent goals for 2016-2017
By Caitlyn May
cmay@cgsentinel.com
The last fi nal has been graded
and students have been enjoying
summer for a little under a week
but work for the South Lane
School District was still in full
swing on Thursday, June 22.
The board was given a report
by South Lane Superintendent
Krista Parent on her progress
concerning goals for the 2016-
2017 school year.
Parent was given seven,
multi-part goals to focus on
during the year including man-
aging the newly passed bond
measure, addressing student at-
tendance, create more equitable
practices throughout the school
district, create a system that re-
quires diploma earners to meet
essential skills in reading, math
and writing, and improve the
graduation rate.
Parent informed the board
that a number of her goals had
been completed, while others
were sill in progress.
South Lane's latest stats
showed the four-year gradua-
tion rate jumping from 64.3 per-
cent to 72 percent.
In regards to the bond issue,
Parent noted that the new Har-
rison Elementary School had
broken ground and the work
on upgrades to the pool would
begin after the district set up a
planning committee to give in-
put on the potential design of
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Attendance is an ongoing
battle throughout the state and
Parent informed the board that
ongoing plans to combat the
issue include coming up with
a district-wide plan that would
see staff time dedicated to form-
ing solutions to the problem.
Earlier this year, South Lane
revealed that up to 50 percent
of its high schoolers were con-
sidered chronically absent. At
the time, the board decided on
withholding prom and gradu-
ation ceremonies for students
who continued to miss an ex-
orbitant number of school days.
According to South Lane, the
method worked and students
began showing up to class more
regularly.
"The math and science, you
have to do. You have to learn to
write an essay but maybe there's
something else they want to
come to school for," said board
member Gary Mort. Cottage
Grove High School current-
ly utilized elective classes and
board members have noted
music classes and the school's
sports programs also lure stu-
dents to school.
In order to create a more eq-
uitable school environment
when students do attend, Par-
ent said the administration read
"High Performing, High Pov-
erty Schools" and hosted book
clubs revolving around fi ve
books on equity. The goal is
to create a school environment
that offer the same opportuni-
ties to students no matter their
household's income level, gen-
der or race. In addition, Parent
informed the board that South
Lane Mental Health would be
partnering with the South Lane
School District to offer basic
training in trauma to better aid
students who may be affected
by outside factors.
Kindergarten and how the
district would address it was a
more involved goal, according
to Parent.
"Schools across the district
are very split on whether or
not to delay full-day start for
kinders," Parent wrote in her
report to the board. "Dorena
and Bohemia are starting their
kinders full-day from the start
of school with Harrison, Lon-
don and Latham waiting until
September 25."
The issue of kindergarten
scheduling is one that was list-
ed as ongoing for the board
with board members noting
that child care options become
deciding factors for parents'
schedules. All day kindergar-
ten alleviates that issue while
switching between all day and
half day creates a problem for
families. Likewise, Parent noted
that poor attendance is not just
a high school senior issue. Kin-
dergarten has the second highest
rate of absenteeism.
Goals Parent counted as done
included increasing the gradu-
ation rate, managing the bond
measure, ensuring diploma
earners met the essential skills
in reading, math and writing,
and continuing to create effec-
tive feedback for faculty and
staff. Parent highlighted this as
her most successful goals and
noted that principals had under-
gone training to better commu-
nicate with their instructors, to
better serve students.
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The Bohemia Mining Days Board put a request out for volunteers to help set up and take down the event during the
city council meeting on Monday, June 26.
By Caitlyn May
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ing Days
Board gave a presentation to the
city council on Monday, June
26 and while it focused on the
packed schedule for the four-
day schedule, it did have one
urgent request: volunteers. The
group currently has 32 residents
signed up to help manage the
chaos of BMD but according to
organizers, the more, the merri-
er.
Nine different committees are
expected to contribute to the tra-
ditional festival that will host an
historical treasure hunt, history
talks, a parade, silent auction,
carnival and live music. But
according to the board, those
events and attractions don't set
themselves up.
"We have been given 50 tick-
ets to the Home Free concert
to give away to people willing
to donate their time to help up
set up and take down Bohemia
Mining Days," said festival co-
ordinator Cindy Weeldreyer. To
volunteer, and win a chance at
tickets, visit bohemiamining-
days.org.
WOE gets $2,000 for lights
By Caitlyn May
cmay@cgsentinel.com
The WOE Fairgrounds Board
got its wish: funding for a light-
ing system at the fairgrounds.
The request came after the
budget cycle for the city closed
but according to fair board offi -
cials, the lighting, or lack there-
of at the site made for a danger-
ous situation.
The board had previously
requested funds or assistance
from the city council after fail-
ing to meet budget time lines.
After speaking with Cottage
Grove City Manager Richard
Meyers, the group compiled a
list of needs and presented it
to the board on Monday night.
While WOE Fairgrounds Vice
President Ken Schwieger pre-
viously told The Sentinel that
several projects on the grounds
were in need of funding, WOE
requested the $2,000 to com-
plete the installation of six LED
lights.
The city council, in approving
the overall city budget prepared
to make a motion to amend the
budget to include the requested
$2,000. However, community
development and planning di-
rector Faye Stewart noticed that
the request did not take into ac-
count the cost of permits to per-
form the work.
After amending the amend-
ment to include an additional
$500 for permit costs, the city
approved the budget and gave
the green light to the WOE's
funding request. The money is
set to come from the communi-
ty promotions fund.
The city completed its budget
process earlier this year with
$28,000 in room tax funds go-
ing to the chamber of commerce
and the local museum to fi x its
faulty roof. The chamber was
alloted $8,000 for printing costs
in addition to the money already
earmarked for the organization
to promote Cottage Grove
Currently, the fairgrounds
earns money through means in-
cluding gate charges for events
and overfl ow parking from the
race track. However, the WOE
does not charge the 4-H club
which utilizes the grounds, ac-
cording to Schwieger. It also
does not charge a fee for the
group putting on the lumberjack
show or the Friends of the Cot-
tage Grove Carousel for storing
the antique carousel pieces in a
barn on the property.
“As far as income, we don’t
have much,” said Schwieger.
Councilman Mike Fleck
made the motion to approve the
WOE funds and councilman
Ken Roberts seconded. The mo-
tion passed unanimously.
COMMUNITY BRIEFS
Library meetings
Friends of the Mildred
Whipple Library have
their meetings on the last
Monday of the month at 1
p.m. in the Drain library.
Everyone is welcome to
attend the meetings.
BMD volunteers
Applications for volun-
teers for Bohemia Mining
Days are now available
at The Sentinel, public
library, KNND and com-
munity center.
Concerts in the Park
Concerts in the Park start
this Wednesday with Jerry
Zybach and Blues Kats.
The show starts at 6:30
p.m. in Bohemia Park.
Everyone is invited to
attend.
Art Walk
Art Walk is set for this
Friday beginning at 6 p.m.
and running until 8 p.m.
on Main St. in downtown.
Music Festival
The annual People's Pick
Live Music Festival is
set for June 30 and July 1
in Bohemia Park . Local
artists are set to perform
including 2106, Daybots
and Crooked Day.
Symphony
The symphony is coming.
Help pay for it by buying
a chocolate bar at city
hall.