EDUCATION
Blue Mountain Eagle
A4
Wednesday, February 24, 2021
Many school district
seats up for election
By Rudy Diaz
Blue Mountain Eagle
The Eagle/Rudy Diaz
Oregon Connections Academy Principal Miranda Pickner, left, and Prairie City Superintendent
Casey Hallgath stand in front of the Prairie City School gym Feb. 22.
Oregon Connections Academy now
sponsored by Prairie City School
Virtual school has
a physical office in
Grant County
By Rudy Diaz
Blue Mountain Eagle
Oregon
Connections
Academy, a public online
virtual school, is opening an
office inside the Prairie City
School building as part of a
new partnership.
The virtual school’s char-
ter is now sponsored by the
Prairie City School District,
according to a press release
from the academy, which
is currently enrolling stu-
dents in grades K-12 for the
upcoming 2021-22 school
year with registration avail-
able for any family across
the state.
The academy began serv-
ing students in grades K-5
for the second semester of
the 2020-21 school year.
“Our partnership with
Oregon Connections Acad-
emy will provide students
all over the state the oppor-
tunity to learn,” Prairie City
Superintendent Casey Hall-
garth said in the release.
“The ability to offer another
form of education to students
is so critical. Not all students
fit in the brick and mortar as
well as not all students fit the
online schooling.”
Hallgarth said he looks
forward to the partnership
to provide students with a
chance to learn their way,
online or in person.
Miranda Pickner will be
the principal for Oregon Con-
nections Academy, and she
said online school has been
a popular option for Ore-
gonians, even before the
pandemic.
“We know that families
will remain interested in a
safe, supportive online learn-
ing environment that pro-
vides personal attention from
teachers, even when the pub-
lic health crisis is over,” Pick-
ner said.
Academy teachers are
trained to teach in a virtual
classroom and emphasize cre-
ating connections with stu-
dents and their families. Par-
ents or guardians also serve
as “Learning Coaches,” help-
ing teachers by providing
the structure students need
through setting daily rou-
tines, ensuring attendance
and ensuring student work is
complete.
“We are proud to work
together with our district part-
ner and sponsor, Prairie City
School District, to bring Ore-
gon families another quality
virtual school solution,” said
Oregon Connections Acad-
emy School Board Chair
Kevin McAdams.
For more information
about Oregon Connections
Academy or enrollment, call
800-382-6010 or visit ore-
gonconnectionsacademy.
com.
Many school board seats
will be on the May ballot in
Grant County.
People interested in a seat
must file by 5 p.m. March 18,
and the filing packets can be
obtained at the Grant County
Clerk’s office or at oregon-
votes.org. The election for the
seats listed is scheduled for
May 18.
Education Service
District
Three seats are available
in the Grant County ESD this
year.
There is one at-large posi-
tion available with a four-year
term. Zone 3 and Zone 5 are
also available for four-year
terms.
School districts
All five school districts
have open seats for their
school boards.
At Grant School District
3, one at-large position with
a two-year unexpired term is
up for grabs. Seats in zones
one, two and four are available
with a four-year term. A spot
in zone three is also open with
a two-year unexpired term.
At Prairie City School Dis-
trict 4, seats in zones one, two,
three and six are available
with a four-year term. A spot
in zone four is also open with
a two-year unexpired term.
At Monument School Dis-
trict 8, seats in zones two, five
and six are available with a
four-year term. A spot in zone
Eagle file photo
An official Grant County ballot drop box behind the courthouse.
three is also open with a two-
year unexpired term.
At Dayville School District
16J, seats in zones one, two
and three are available with a
four-year term.
At Long Creek School Dis-
trict 17, seats in zones one and
three are available with a four-
year term.
Other Grant County
positions
The Grant County Trans-
portation District has three
at-large positions available for
four-year terms.
The John Day Rural Fire
District has two at-large posi-
tions available for four-year
terms with one at-large posi-
tion available for a two-year
unexpired term.
The Mt. Vernon Rural Fire
District has three at-large
positions available for four-
year terms.
The Prairie Rural Fire Dis-
trict has two at-large positions
available for four-year terms.
The John Day-Canyon
City Parks and Recreation
District has three at-large
positions available with no
term length listed.
The Blue Mountain Hos-
pital District has one at-large
position available for a four-
year term. Spots in positions
one and two are also up for
grabs for four-year terms.
Dayville Cemetery Dis-
trict has two at-large posi-
tions available for a four-year
terms.
Fox Cemetery District has
one at-large position available
for a four-year term.
Long Creek Cemetery
District has two at-large posi-
tions available for a four-year
term.
Mid-County
Cemetery
District has two at-large posi-
tions available for a four-year
term.
Monument Cemetery Dis-
trict has one at-large positions
available for a four-year term.
An additional at-large spot is
available for a two-year unex-
pired term.
Prairie Cemetery District
has one at-large position avail-
able for a four-year term.
Prairie
City School
honor roll
— second
nine weeks
Seniors
Put our
expertise
to work
for you.
4.0 GPA: Jesaka Culley,
Jojari Field, Brandon Hor-
rell, Caitlin Willet and Declan
Zweygardt.
Honor roll (3.5-3.99 GPA):
Katie Hire, Sophia McLen-
nan, Samantha Workman,
Ezra Beam and Kevin Duvall.
Honorable mention (3.0-
3.49 GPA): Abbey Pfeffer-
korn and Jayden Winegar.
Juniors
Honor roll: Marcus Judd
and Hannah Wall.
Honorable mention: Gavin
Lopez, Masyn Keith, Zen-
teyvia Locke, Tianna Law-
rence, John Titus and Cam-
eron Zirkel.
Sophomores
4.0 GPA: Kaitlynne Ash-
ley and Laken McKay.
Honor roll: Paige Shaw.
Honorable mention: Cait-
lin Titus and Cole Teel.
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Freshmen
Honor roll: Cayden How-
ard and Jasmine Hayzlett.
Honorable mention: Jay-
cee Winegar, Cody Reagan,
Brooke Teel, Tristen Gibson
and Wes Voigt.
Eighth-graders
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4.0 GPA: Josie Hor-
rell, Reece Jacobs and Eric
Rausch.
Honor roll: Tamara Judd,
Lilly Rockhill and Clyde
Holliday.
Honorable mention: Eli
Hinkle, Gracie Voigt, Syrus
Workman, Skylar McKay and
Zoey Beam.
Seventh-graders
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Honor roll: Alexis Ander-
ton, Kaitlyn Dehart and Riley
Davis.
Honorable mention: Colby
Anderton, Mya Bryant, Keira
Teel, Laynie Harmon and
Maison Teel.