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About Cannon Beach gazette. (Cannon Beach, Or.) 1977-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 2, 2018)
November 2, 2018 | Cannon Beach Gazette | cannonbeachgazette.com • 3A Seaside struggles most with chronic absenteeism Statewide rate has worsened By Edward Stratton The Daily Astorian Seaside students contin- ued to struggle the most with chronic absenteeism rela- tive to their peers in Clatsop County and statewide last school year. Chronic absenteeism is defined as missing at least 10 percent of the school year. Nearly one-quarter of Sea- side students were considered chronically absent last school year, according to state atten- dance reports, a nearly 1 per- cent increase from the year prior and up 7.5 percent from 2014-15. Around one-third of Sea- side kindergartners and high schoolers last school year were considered chronically absent. “I think that we certainly need an improvement in our attendance,” said Sheila Ro- ley, the school superintendent in Seaside. “It has become close to the top of our priority list.” The school district has a highly mobile population, with families sometimes moving out of the district and not letting the district know, Roley said. Families busy with work during the summer also take breaks during the school year to spend time to- gether, racking up absences, SEASIDE SCHOOL DISTRICT The Seaside School District’s new campus under construc- tion in the Southeast Hills could impact absenteeism rates. she said. The district this year start- ed a colloquium period during which students check in with a teacher or other staff mem- ber four to five days a week. Having adult mentors is key to keeping students engaged, along with creating interest- ing academic opportunities, Roley said. Seaside will soon move to a new K-12 campus in the hills east of the city center. It remains to be seen whether a more rural campus cuts into absenteeism, but the district will be taking certain mea- sures in response to the new location, such as closing cam- pus during lunch, Roley said. More than one-fifth of stu- dents statewide were consid- ered chronically absent last school year. The rate is one of the worst in the nation and has consistently grown worse over the past several years from 15.2 percent in 2013-14. Aside from Seaside, coun- ty schools have shown more progress in regards to the absenteeism rate and trended lower than the state. Fewer than 9 percent of the 157 stu- dents in the rural K-12 Jewell School last school year were chronically absent, far below the district’s 21.5 percent rate in 2016-17 and 24.5 per- cent in 2015-16. Jewell’s rate was the lowest in the county, followed by 15.9 percent in Astoria and 16.8 percent in Warrenton. Knappa’s chronic absenteeism rate surpassed the state’s at 21.7 percent last year, but was down from 22.3 percent the two years prior. Astoria’s chronic absen- teeism rate last school year decreased by 4 percent over- all from 2016-17. The school district recently began the Strive for Five campaign to publicize the importance of attendance. Craig Hoppes, the school superintendent in Astoria, said the district has made a lot of progress, and has seen the results borne out in better test scores, but ulti- mately wants to get below 10 percent chronic absenteeism. “We’ve never commu- nicated like this at the high school or districtwide to par- ents about the importance of attendance,” he said of Strive for Five. The rate of chronic absen- teeism has traditionally been highest among kindergartners and high school juniors and seniors. While more than one- fifth of kindergartners state- wide were chronically absent, the rate was only 10 percent in Jewell, 12.3 percent in As- toria and 12.8 percent in War- renton. More than 30 percent of kindergartners in Knappa were chronically absent last school year, along with one- third in Seaside. More than 29 percent of high schoolers were chron- ically absent statewide, compared to 23.4 percent in Astoria and 24.3 percent in Warrenton. Seaside and Knappa were the only dis- tricts to surpass 30 percent and the statewide rate. State schools chief Colt Gill, an appointee of Gov. Kate Brown, has faced crit- icism for planning to with- hold completed school report cards until after the Novem- ber election. The report on chronic absenteeism was due out more than a week ago, but had been tentatively pushed back to Nov. 1 without ex- planation before a surprise decision to release complete school performance data Fri- day, according to The Orego- nian. The state recently created its own attendance campaign, Every Day Matters, as part of a goal of Brown’s to have 90 percent of incoming high school freshmen graduate with a diploma or through a GED exam. “We know that every day a student attends school means an additional opportunity for learning,” Gill said in a news release. “Our Every Day Mat- ters campaign is one part of a larger effort throughout the state to improve attendance. Reducing chronic absentee- ism requires all of us to do our part. Schools need to make sure students are wel- comed and engaged. Families need to recognize the impor- tance of attendance and every community needs to look at local barriers that can impact student attendance.” FLOORING CCB# 205283 Luxury vinyl planks and tile. you walk on our reputation Flooring Installation 3470 Hwy 101 Suite 102 • Gearhart, Oregon 503.739.7577 • carpetcornergearhart.com PAINTING Randy Anderson Licensed • Bonded • Insured CCB# 89453 36 Years Experience Bonamici deals with issues at town hall Anderson Painting Congresswoman shares views in Cannon Beach By Brenna Visser Cannon Beach Gazette National issues, such as con- cerns about climate change and partisan gridlock in Congress, were at the forefront at a town hall hosted Sunday, Oct. 21, by U.S. Rep. Suzanne Bonamici. The visit was a part of a tour across the 1st Congres- sional District to answer ques- tions from constituents. Most concerns were centered around whether any progress could be made on Bonamici’s priorities, such as expanding health care, college affordability or curbing climate change, with a Repub- lican-held Congress and White House. “When I got elected to Con- gress, I knew I’d be in the mi- nority, but that doesn’t mean I expect my constituents to expect I do nothing because I’m in the minority party,” the Demo- crat said. “You find common ground.” Bonamici cited her work with Rep. Don Young, R-Alas- ka, to develop the Save Our Seas Act, a bill that reautho- rizes the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s marine debris Program through 2022. She also mentioned bipar- tisan work with then-Rep. Jim Bridenstine, R-Okla., that was necessary to pass the Weather Forecasting Improvement Act of 2014, a bill aimed at better- ing coordination of NOAA’s research and forecasting opera- tions. While bipartisanship is pos- sible, Bonamici said she is con- cerned about the lack of over- sight she feels lawmakers have over the Trump administration. Bonamici highlighted the U.S. Department of Education and the Environmental Protection Agency, in particular. “The current Congress has not done a good job to provide oversight to this administra- tion,” Bonamici said. “We’ve seen story after story about them not doing their job or about a culture of corruption … we need to crack down where oversight is needed.” This issue dovetailed into the concerns some in the audi- ence had about whether a recent report published by the Inter- governmental Panel on Climate Change — a group of scientists convened by the United Nations — was being taken seriously by Congress. The report described the global effects of climate change by 2040. Bonamici said, as a member of the House Science, Space and Technology Committee, she was disappointed by the Trump administration’s lack of response to the report. “The administration didn’t even understand who (the Inter- governmental Panel on Climate Change) were,” she said. Bonamici said she still be- lieves progress can be made through educating people and communicating about issues like ocean acidification and re- newable energy resources, and that those conversations need to be tethered to job retraining and education in the oil and coal in- dustries. “We can grow our renew- able energy industry,” Bonamici said. “But we have to talk about it in a way where those work- ing in industries like coal don’t feel like we’re taking away their livelihood and their whole his- tory.” (503) 738-9989 • Cell (503) 440-2411 • Fax (503) 738-9337 PO Box 140 Seaside, Oregon 97138 www.andersonpainting.biz “Custom Finishing” CONSTRUCTION B oB M c E wan c onstruction , inc . 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Chinook: Police respond to a request for a welfare check. The person is fine. Oct. 16 4 p.m., Highway 101: Police assist Oregon State Police with a motor vehicle accident. who tells police she is concerned her neighbors are bikers and devil worshippers. Police speak with the neighbors, who are a family with young children. No bikers or devil worshipping found. Oct. 22 5:11 p.m., 1100 block Spruce: Police respond to a disturbance between neighbors. Oct. 20 Oct. 17 Three incidents of overnight camp- ing are reported. 6:18 p.m., Haystack Rock: Police assist with a water rescue. Oct. 18 One incident of overnight camping was reported. 11:56 a.m., Police headquarters: A lost necklace is reported. 2:09 a.m., Police transport to hospital for medical attention an intoxicated woman reported on Broadway for refusing to leave a business; in the patrol car, the woman banged her head against the cage in the car. Three incidents of overnight camp- ing are reported. Laurelwood Farm CONSTRUCTION Oct. 24 8:53 a.m., Highway 101: A possibly injured owl reported on the highway is gone on police arrival. 3:24 p.m., Police assist a person locating their vehicle. Oct. 25 Oct. 21 34154 HIGHWAY 26 SEASIDE, OR 5:37 p.m., Police assist motorist with a dead battery. 7:36 p.m., Highway 101: Police assist with a situation where a car drove into a ditch. “Helping shape the character of Cannon Beach since 1973” Residential • Commercial • Remodeling New Construction • Storm Damage Repair Full Service Custom Cabinet Shop 503.436.2235 www.coasterconstruction.com • CCB# 150126 Oct. 19 One incident of overnight camping is reported. 7:32 p.m., Elk Creek Road: Police respond three times over the next hour to an intoxicated woman Dining on the STORAGE Sou RJ Marx nds of modern These g , John Orr, D jazz as rend e uys are a taking t ve Gager & Jo red by he Nort h Coast e Church by storm STORAGE AVAILABLE Swing, Bo CANNON BEACH BUSINESS PARK p, Cool Admission $10 Performance 7pm-9pm Hoffman Center for the Arts 594 Laneda Ave • Manzanita 503.368.3846 North Coast Saturday 10 November 10’ x 10’ Heated Contact Holly at 503-436-2235 LAWN CARE Free Estimates • Storm Clean-Up Excellence in family dining found from a family that has been serving the North Coast for the past 52 years JIM’S LAWN CARE 503-325-2445 Great Great Great Homemade Breakfast, lunch and pasta, Clam dinner steaks & Chowder, but that’s not all... menu,too! seafood! 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