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School board deadlocked over four-day week
HEPPNER
50 <
imes
VOL. 116
NO. 7
8 Pages Wednesday. February 12, 1997,
Morrow County Heppner, Oregon
The Morrow County School
District
(MCSD)
Board
deadlocked three-to-three in a vote
to retain the four-day student
school week in its regular meeting
held Monday, Feb 10, at Sam
Boardman Elementary The board
tabled the decision until the March
meeting when the seventh member
of the board will be in attendance
Board members Scott Johnson,
Russ Morgan and Scott Bauska
voted to retain the four-day week,
while John Rietmann, Dwayne
Carroll and Bill Doherty came out
against the four-day week
According to board chairman Scott
Bauska. board member Gary
Fredenckson was away on
vacation
Those in favor o f the four-day
week cited less time away from
school for teachers' conferences,
workshops and in-service days,
students' doctor's appointments
and sports, more time for family
and extra-cumcular activities such
as dance, music lessons, art
programs and student jobs and less
time spent riding the bus. They
maintain that absentees are
reduced and students are not
suffering scholastically They also
say that the $ 150,000 to $200,000
that is estimated to be saved yearly
with a four-day week would be
better spent on additional teachers
and education programs
Those opposed to the four-day
week say they fear that Morrow
County students won't be able to
keep up with their peers w ho go to
school five days a week, that
retention of classroom material,
and ultimately test scores, will
suffer and that the students mav
Heppner Elks Scholarship Winners Announced
She has played volleyball four
The Heppner Elks Scholarship
y ears and basketball her freshman
winners have been announced
y ear and was on the varsity track
First place winners are Brian team three years, taking eighth
Koffler and Traci Dickenson, both place in the state high jump
Heppner High School (HHS) competition her sophomore year.
seniors Second place winners are She was on the cheerleading squad
Luke Swanson, lone High School for two years and a member of the
(IHS). and Toni Kemp. HHS. and National Honor Society three
third place students are Brent years.
Gunderson. HHS, and LaRee
Dickenson plans to attend
Anderson, IHS
Oregon State University, majoring
in biology or premed with a goal
of becoming a pediatrician
Brian Koffler
Koffler. 18. the son of George
and Debbie Koffler. Heppner. is
student body president at HHS
and was vice president his junior
year His freshman and sophomore
years, he was student council class
representative
He has a 3.89 grade point
average
Koffler is a member o f
Wildhorse club. Outdoor Club and
International Club He is a three-
year letterman in both football and
baseball and is on the varsity
basketball team This year Koffler
was selected as an alternate to the
East-West Shrine team
He plans to attend Oregon State
University , majoring in pharmacy
Traci Dickenson
Traci Dickenson, 17, the
daughter of Steve and Kathi and
Steve Dickenson, Heppner, is
senior class president and student
body secretary at HHS She has
been
sophomore
class
representative, freshman class
treasurer and OSSOM Club vice
president
She has a 3 96 grade point
average
Toni Kemp
Tom Kemp. 18. the daughter of
Marcia
and
Gary
Kemp,
Lexington, is class vice president.
Future Farmers of America
president. National Honor Society
president and OSSOM president
this year at HHS
She has a 3.96 grade point
average.
She has been junior class
secretary-treasurer,
sophomore
class president and freshman class
representative Her junior year, she
was FFA treasurer, OSSOM
secretary-treasurer and National
Honor Society treasurer
Kemp turned out for basketball
and golf all four years and played
volleyball her freshman and
sophomore years The last two
years she has kept stats She was
also a cheerleader her sophomore
and junior years
She has been a member of the
Wildhorse Club, the International
Club, the Outdoor Club, FFA and
OSSOM
Kemp plans to attend OSU,
majoring
in
international
ag/business
Luke Swanson
Luke Swanson, 17, the son of
Jim and Monica Swanson, lone, is
senior class president and vice
president of the Letterclub His
junior year he was National Honor
Society president and class vice
president.
He has a 3 8 grade point
average
Swanson has turned out for
football and basketball all four
years and track three years He
was named Big Sky Conference
Scholar Athlete in 1994 and 1995
and received honorable mention
Big Sky All-star for basketball his
sophomore y ear Also that y ear he
won second at state in pole vault,
fourth in 110 high hurdles, sixth in
100 meter dash and seventh in
high jump and was selected first
team all state in track and field
His senior year he was named to
the first team all state football
team
Swanson is a member of the
National Honor Society, lone
Youth Group and St. William's
Catholic Church
Brent Gunderson
Brent Gunderson, 17, the son of
Tricia and Dave Gunderson,
Heppner. is student body treasurer
and business manager at HHS.
He has a 3.79 grade point
average
Gunderson was freshman class
president. He has been a member
of the Wild Horse Club all four
years, OSSOM his junior and
senior years. National Honor
Society for three years and is a
member of the Outdoor Club
He has been a member of the
football and golf teams all four
years and turned out for basketball
his freshman year He has also
been a Colt Basketball volunteer
This year Gunderson was
selected for the East team of the
East-West Shrine Game
Gunderson plans to attend
college to become a certified
public accountant
Pesticide training
set for Feb. 13
LaRee Anderson
LaRee Anderson, 17, the
daughter o f Glenn and Phyllis
Anderson. Lexington, is president
of the National Honor Society,
editor of the lone High School
annual, senior class vice president
and president of Future Business
Leaders of America (FBLA).
She has a 3 89 grade point
average
She was also editor o f the annual
last year and was junior class
treasurer, FBLA vice president
and Honor Society treasurer
Anderson played volleyball,
basketball and track all four years
She received all league honorable
mention in volleyball in 1995. She
was sixth place in 400m relay and
1600m relay at state in 1994,
second in the 1600m relay, fifth in
the pole vault and sixth in the
400m at state in 1995. second in
the 400m relay, third in the pole
v ault, sixth m the 200m and eighth
in long jump at state in 1996
She is a member of the
Lexington Baptist Church
OSU Morrow County Extension
Service is offering a Core Pesticide
Training program on Thursday,
February 13, at the Pettyjohn
Building conference room in
Heppner. beginning at 8 a m
Four recertification credits are
being offered The training is free
to the public and is sponsored by
the Morrow County Wheat
League
For more information about the
program or to pre-register call the
Morrow County Extension office ,
676-9642 or 1-800-342-3664
-receiv ed a preliminary review of
not be able to compete m the five-
1996- 97 probationary teachers
day -a-week job market They also
which include the following HES-
stressed that children, especially
Shem Matteson, first year,
the younger
ones,
require
first/second
grades,
Sharon
repetition and consistency to learn,
Moms, second y ear, kindergarten;
needs which are not met with a
HHS-Chuck Matteson, first year,
four-day week, and say that the
alternative ed, Glenn Zollner, first
longer days in a four-day week
year, vo-ag, Ione-Mark Bird, first
excessively tire the primary
year, business ed, Helen-Marie
i students They argue that the initial Marshall, first year, science;
decision to go to a four-day week temporary
teachers,
Shawn
was purely financial and, since the Kempas, HHS PE, Ralph Werner,
district's financial situation is HES/HHS
music,
Heather
better than it was when the four- H a c k i n g ,
HES/HHS,
day week was adopted, the five- music/Spamsh, and Ron Neighom,
day week should be re-instituted
HHS/Ione, music/Spanish; and
MCSD assistant superintendent probationary
principal
Ron
Mike Keown said that students' Anthony, first year HHS
wnting scores have increased each
-rev iewed calendar options for
year, while other standardized tests
1997- 98 Option A-school starts
showed "no significant difference" Sept 2, the Tuesday after Labor
in students' scores
Day, Christmas break is Dec 22-
Meg Murray, Heppner, an Jan 4 (two weeks), spring break is
opponent of the four-day week, March 23-27, students' last day is
brought petitions with 387 Tuesday, June 9, Option B-school
signatures of county residents starts Sept 2. Christmas break is
favoring the five-day week
Dec 24-Jan 4 (one-plus week),
However, a survey of parents of spring break is March 23-27,
students attending schools in the students' last dav is Fridav , June
district, indicated that a majority 5.
of the parents favored the four-day
-heard the second reading of a
week
district-wide staffing proposal for
In other business the board
the 1997-98 budget, which
heard
from
MCSD includes the addition of
6 5
superintendent Chuck Starr, who teachers and counselors, one .5
announced that he has been time office assistant, two full time
diagnosed with rectal cancer He ed assistants, six, 3-1/2 hour ed
said that
he has
begun
assistants, one fourth time media
chemotherapy and is expected to assistant, one 6 time custodian,
undergo surgery in April "The
and 7 extra duty computer trainers
prognosis is as good as can be at an additional cost of $376.825
expected I'm very optimistic,"
for the district.
said Starr, who added. "This
-awarded a bid for Flushometers
district and the people who live in for urinals to low bidder Standard
it are wonderful" for their support
Supply
Co.,
Portland,
for
- received a report on the $17,650.30 Hermiston Electric &
district's dropout rate, which, for
Plumbing, the onlv other bid. came
Morrow County Hispanic students
in at $17.667.11.
is more than double the statewide
-awarded a bid for interior
rate. While district officials
painting
of the HES gym for
dispute the way the dropout rate is
$18,050
to
sole bidder Michael
calculated, they admit, "We still
Hannen,
Bend
have a problem." Heppner High
-approved resignation of Jeannie
School (HHS) has a 3 47 percent
Pershall-Roberts.
one-on-one
dropout rate for 1995-96; lone
High School, 1.69 percent, and special ed assistant at Columbia
Middle School; retirement of Dei
Riverside High School, 8 73
LaRue, teaching position at lone
percent, compared to a statewide
Schools after 27 years of serv ice;
average of 7.23 percent
employment
of Brenda Newport,
- approved a donation to the
one-on-one
special
ed assistant at
HHS vocational agricultural/FFA
Houghton and Doreen
program from Kinzua Resources • A C
DeBoard, one-on-one special ed
of 1100 board feet of 2x4 lumber
assistant
at Sam Boardman
-approved a field trip request
Elementary
from Heppner Elementary School
-heard superintendent's reports
(HES) principal Bill Karwacki for on bond issue proceeds, bond
HES third and fourth graders to project update, postponement of a
attend a Smithsonian Institution
due process hearing, school
exhibit at Portland
funding update, and transportation
grievance arbitration decision.
Morrow County Schools will be
closed Monday. Feb. 17 for
President's Day
The next regular meeting will be
O i l IC0
held Tuesday. March 10, at the
district office in Lexington at 7:30
Republican Senator Gordon
p m .
Smith has announced that he will
host a grand opening for his East
ern Oregon Community Office
(EOCO) on Saturday, Feb. 15, from
10 a.m. to 12 noon. “The opening
of the office marks the first time in
memory that Pendleton has been
Both the lone Cardinals and the
home to a U.S. Senator’s office,” Lady Cards are set to play in the
said a Smith news release. The new district basketball playoffs this
office is located at 1706 Southwest Friday in Hermiston.
The girls will square off
Frazer Avenue.
“I am eager to have the Eastern against Culver at 1:30 p.m. at
Oregon Community Office up and Hermiston High School, and the
running,” said Smith. “It will be a boys will also play Culver , this
resource to the residents of the area, for the championship at 8p.m.
Friday night also at the
responsive to their needs and con
Hermiston High gym.
cerns. I encourage everyone to stop
The winner o f the girls game
by Saturday and see how our of will play Saturday at 4p.m.
fice can serve them.”
against the loser o f the Wasco,
The Pendleton office will be run Condon championship game to
by Liz Lorenzen, who will be be played Friday night. The
Smith’s eastern Oregon commu loser is out o f the tournament. If
nity representative. Lorenzen will the Lady Cards win both games
be assisted by Linda Hamilton, who they will advance to the state
will serve as an executive assistant tournament in Baker.
1 If the lone boys win Friday that
in the Pendleton office.
The EOCO will provide area resi will be their last game o f the
dents with an opportunity to voice district tournament and they will
concerns over federal agency mat automatically advance to the
ters, inquire about legislation, or to state playoffs.
If the boys lose Friday against
brief Smith representatives on lo
Culver they will play the winner
cal issues.
of the game between Wasco, and
as of presstime
Tuesday,
undetermined opponent. Wasco's
The Heppner Junior High School opponent was determined in a
sports dessert will be held playoff game Tuesday night
Tuesdav, Feb 18, at 7 p m at the when Helix played Echo for the
right to go to district.
HJHS/HHS cafeteria
Smith to open
Pendleton
Cardinal teams to
play at District
H J H S dessert
Congratulations Customer Appreciation Day Door Prize Winners!
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Set Hobbs Flashers -• Roland Bergstrom
Hobbs Spot Light •• Bill Eubanks
Ertl Toys - Trevor Rhea & Adam Marks
Emergency Service Kit •• John Ledbetter
SK Screwdriver Set •• Tyson Palmateer
PR Tires -- Kenneth Smouse
Lifting Sling - John Edwards
Citrus Hand Wipes •• Monique Devin
MORROW Lexington
COUNTY
GRAIN 0R0WIRS
989-8221 1-800-452-7396
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