Heppner Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon Wednesday, September 22, 1999 - THREE
School board hears state benchmark test results
Morrow County
School
Distnct
Assistant
Superintendent Mike Keown
presented the state benchmark
assessment information at the
regular distnct board meeting
September 13 at Riverside High
School in Boardman
According to state results. 72
percent of the third graders in
Morrow County Schools during
the 1998-99 year met or
exceeded the state-established
benchmarks in both reading and
mathematics
Scores for third graders are
up over the past two years,
'when 66 percent of the third
grade class met or exceeded the
standards in reading for both
1997-98 and 1996-97
Fifty-four percent of third
graders met the standards in
mathematics in 1997-98; and
only 48 percent met the
standards in 1996-97.
Statistics, however, show a
downturn for Morrow County
fifth graders Only 36 percent
met or exceeded the state
standards for reading in 1998-
99. down from 54 percent in
1997-98 and 53 percent in
1996-97.
Fifth-grade math benchmarks
also show a downward trend
w ith only 41 percent meeting or
exceeding standards in 1998-
99, down from 46 percent in
both 1997-98 and 1996-97.
Eighth-graders for the 1998-
99 year show an improvement
with 43 percent meeting or
exceeding standards in reading,
up from 32 percent in 1997-98
and about equal to the 44
percent in 1996-97.
Grade eight
mathematics
results mirrored the trends in
reading, with 41
percent
meeting or exceeding standards
for 1998-99, up from 36
percent in 1997-98 and equal to
the 1996-97 results.
Results for the grade 10
reading benchmarks over the
past three years are also up and
down,
with
42
percent
achieving standards in 1998-99,
36 percent in 1997-98, and 43
percent in 1996-97.
Results o f the grade 10
mathematics scores over the
past three years show an
upward trend, with 32 percent
meeting or achieving the
standards in 1998-99, up from
26 percent in 1997-98 and only
19 percent in 1996-97.
Keown explained that while
students in the older grades did
not do as well as students in the
younger grades, the tests get
progressively
harder
and
include a much wider range o f
skills.
He emphasizes that in small
schools, percentages may be
greatly influenced by even one
or two students in a grade who
are in the TAG (talented and
gifted) program or who speak
English as a second language,
for example. He also noted that
it may be more significant to
compare the results of a
particular class as they advance
through the grades, rather than
compare the third grade class in
1997, 1998 and 1999, for
example.
In other business, the board:
-appointed Mike Armato to
the district budget committee
for a three-year-term, replacing
Jerry Healy.
-heard a report on enrollment,
class sizes and staffing levels
for the 1999-2000 year The
board
directed
the
superintendent
and
administrators to make a
recommendation on this topic.
A special meeting is planned
September 27 at the district
office at 7 p.m.
Enrollment figures indicate
2140 students distnct wide as
of August 30 of this year,
compared to 2204 which is the
total average enrollment for
1998. down 64 students
Enrollment is down at
Heppner Elementary, with 224
on August 30 of this year,
compared to 249 total average
last year
Enrollment is about the same
at Heppner High School, with
217 students on August 30,
compared to 218 average for
last year
lone Schools' enrollment is
up, with 170 on August 30,
compared to 159 average for
last year
Other county schools are as
follows:
AC.
Houghton.
Imgon-376 (average last year)/
361 (August 30 of this year);
Columbia
Middle
School.
Irrigon-363
(average
98-
99)/339 (August 30, 1999);
Riverside
High
School.
Boardman-436/425;
Sam
Boardman
Elementary.
Boardman-403/406
-heard a report on the 1999-
2000
school
revenue
calculation
indicating total
revenues for the district,
including lottery' funds, at
$13,937,708, compared to total
expenditures of $15,394,137 for
a $1,456,429 shortfall
Total school revenues include
$10,200,938 plus $1,680,976 in
additional revenues, $999,375
for English as a second
language reimbursement (for
which ACH, CMS, RHS and
SBE qualify, and to a lesser
extent, HES and HHS) and
$804,375 for the small schools
adjustment (for which HHS,
IES and 1HS qualify) for the
total of $13.937,708 ’
An
individual
school
revenue/expense breakdown is
as follows:
ACH (kindergarten through
fifth grade): total budget-
$2,225,048;
total
revenue-
$1,867,125;
per
student
revenue-$6,342; per student
cost-$6,014.
CMS (grades six-eight): total
budget-$2,349,459;
total
revenue-$l,918,313;
per
student revenue-$6.330; per
student cost-$6,771.
HES (K-six): total budget-
$1,907,675;
total
revenue-
$1,023,750;
per
student
revenue-$5,689; per student
cost-$8,441.
-HHS
(seven-12):
total
budget-$ 1,841,204;
total
revenue-$336,375; per student
revenue-$7,249; per student
cost-$8,604.
-lone Elementary (k-eight):
total budget-$943,332; total
revenue-$268,125; per student
revenue-$8,499; per student
cost-$9,159.
lone High School (nine-12):
total budget-$701,631; total
revenue-$202,313; per student
revenue-$8,652; per student
cost-$10,318.
RHS (nine-12): total budget -
$2,911,223;
total
revenue-
$2,381,438;
per
student
revenue-$6,178; per student
cost-$6,572.
SBE (K-five): total budget-
$2,514,564;
total
revenue-
$2,220,563;
per
student
revenue-$6,661; per student
cost-$6,001.
Administrative costs include
$2,638,659 for the district
office;
$330,851
for
maintenance and $697,600 for
transportation
-reviewed the facility master
plan. A facilities committee,
consisting of citizens from each
o f the five communities in the
county, will soon be formed.
-approved
the
superintendent's
continuing
professional development plan
for
supenntendent
Bruce
Anderson
-scheduled a special board
work session for curriculum
issues on November 22.
-approved Resolution 2000-
02 to accept and appropriate
unanticipated revenues (grant
funds).
-accepted resignations from
Holly Moss. SBE teacher;
Amanda
Shasteen.
Maria
Mendoza and Kathy Siron. all
SBE ed assistants. Janice
Babcock. CMS Title I ed
assistant, Pam Worden. HES,
ESL ed assistant. Benn Houk.
CMS assistant football coach.
Carolyn Miller, RHS food
service assistant/Title I ed
assistant. Robbie Naser. CMS
Title I ed assistant. Came
Ferguson.
CMS
assistant
volleyball coach, and Daniel
Daltoso. RHS assistant girls'
basketball coach
-approved employment for:
Shirley Henderson. ACH ed
assistant.
replacing
Carol
Johnson. Cynthia Hodgdon.
ACH fourth grade teacher,
replacing Joan Henry. Avenlle
Brown half time reading
teacher at ACH and half time at
McNary Elementary School;
Elnora Johnson. CMS ESL ed
assistant.
replacing
Maya
Phipps; Joshua Tanin. CMS
assistant custodian, replacing
Bart Prouty; Wanda Dixon.
CMS special ed assistant,
replacing Ellen Slover; Pat
Erickson. CMS part-time food
sem ce clerical assistant; Tina
Walker
HHS
special
ed
assistant/assistant
cook,
replacing Martha Munkers:
Ramona Murtha. SBE school
secretary , replacing Sue Riedel;
Jessica Oleman. SBE second
grade teacher, replacing Holly
Moss; Trasci Cox. SBE special
ed assistant, replacing Amanda
Shasteen: Anne Orcutt. SBE ed
assistant.
replacing
Mana
Mendoza: Linda Fox. CMS
part-time
assistant
cook,
replacing Staci Duitsman
-appoved promotions for Lon
McCabe, from part-time to full
time assistant cook at lone. Lon
McCombs.
from
part-time
ACH ed assistant to SBE full
time ed assistant, replacing
Kathy Siron
-approved extra duty contracts
for: Poul Murtha. CMS TAG
coordinator, replacing Phyllis
Danielson; Ray Davis. CMS
assistant football and head
girls' basketball coach. Joshua
Tarvin. CMS assistant football
coach. Dana Heidcman. IHS
head girls basketball coach,
replacing Chns Davis. Ryan
Rudolf. IHS assistant girls'
basketball coach, replacing
Duane Neiffer; Posey Studer.
CMS assistant volleyball coach,
replacing Came Ferguson
-approved
attendance
vanances with the Umatilla
School Distnct for several
students
-approved a services contract
between the Boardman Police
Department and the school
distnct
for
security
and
superv ision of events at RHS
The next board meeting will
be held October 11 at HHS at
7:30 p m
Boardman volunteers spruce up town
Armed with shovels, rakes, hoes,
over 60 Boardman Community
volunteers competed in the 1999
Community Pndc Challenge
Starting at 8 am. Saturday
September 11. volunteers cleaned
years of debns from the grounds
of the vacant building being
renovated for the now larger
Boardman Library Some planted
trees, shrubs, daffodil bulbs and
arranged tons of river rock
landscaping
Other volunteers
prepped and painted the building
extenor and trim
When the library exterior and
grounds had been transformed, the
volunteers hoisted rakes over their
shoulders and marched north on
Main Street to arrange river rock
landscaping on West and East
Frontage Roads.
The Port of Morrow donated
over 45 tons of river rock and also
loaned rakes and shovels for those
who arrived without tools The
Garden Club assisted with
temporary loans of additional
rakes and shovels Don Russell of
Russell Oil arm ed on his back hoe
and speeded up the rock mov ing
process. Raking rocks ceased at
12 noon and all those still able to
stand toasted their success with
frosty shakes prov ided by Dr
Robert Boss
"Many volunteers took part just
for the satisfaction of helping to
enhance
their
communitv
appearance.’' said Carol Michael
"Others enjoy ed helping, but also
relished the prospect of w inning
community pride financial awards
for the most volunteers hours
worked by a community non-profit
organization.
Thirty-four of Our Ladv of
Guadalupe Catholic
Church
volunteers contributed 67 hours
worked, and won the first-place
$500 prize.
Friends of the
Boardman Library contributed
hours to win the $ 125 second prize
and the Riverside Junior Class
contributed hours to capture the
$75 third prize.
Representatives of the winning
organizations. Lupe Colin. Mana
Barajas. Glona Crowell, and Rosa
Monie. received checks and
applause at the September 15
Boardman Chamber of Commerce
meeting.
Prize money, labor and
materials were donated by the
following businesses: Morrow
Oregon Potato Company ; J & D
Electric. Boardman Health Care
Center; Kopacz Nursery; Mid
Columbia Excavation: Yates
Trucking;
Pendleton
Gram
Growers;
Coast
to
Coast
Hardware;
Hancock
Rock
Crushing; Port of Morrow;
Boardman Park & Recreation
District: Boardman Chamber of
Commerce; Boardman Pharmacy
and Hardware.
American Legion, Aux. meeting
The American Legion and Aux
iliary will hold its first (all meeting
on Monday. Sept. 27 at the United
St. Patrick’s to
feature video
On Sunday . September 26. the
St. Patrick Church will feature a
video from the Northwest Medical
Teams and invites community
members to join the v iewing.
The video explains the teams'
work and their need for help with
this work in areas around the
world that have suffered disasters
All interested individuals arc
invited to come to the church's
parish hall at noon, during the
coffee hour
Methodist Church basement Pot-
luck will be at 6:30 p m
Dues are due. "Let's reach our
goal early this y e a r,” said a
spokesperson. New members are
welcome to attend
Pamphlets available on
canning vegetables
Canning season is just about to
get into high gear.
Home
gardeners and canners should be
aware that if you are canning
vegetables other than tomatoes,
you must use a pressure canner
to prevent the possibility of
deadly botulism.
Only pressure canning
produces temperatures high
enough (240 degrees, 28 degrees
above boiling) to kill many
bactena that can grow in low
acid foods, including those that
cause deadly botulism.
If
vegetables
are
improperly
processed, toxin could be
present even though the canned
vegetable looks, smells and
tastes normal.
Why not order "Canning
Vegetables," PNW 172, a 14-
page guide published by the
Oregon
State
University
Extension Service. It will help
you safely pressure process all
your garden beans, beets,
carrots, chilies and vegetables
other than tomatoes.
The
publication is available for $1
per copy.
"Canning Vegetables,"
includes information on pressure
canning equipment, preparation
o f vegetables, packing jars,
adding salt, safely sealing jars,
pressure processing, cooling,
testing for seals, stonng and a
safety checklist for canning.
Specific instructions are given
for each vegetable type.
"Canning Vegetables," PNW
172, is available at the OSU
Morrow County Extension
Office in Heppner.
A reminder: home canners
statewide can get answers to
questions by calling the OSU
Extension food preservation
hotline from July 15 to October
15 at 1-800-354-7319, Monday
through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4
p.m. The hotline is staffed by
OSU Extension Master Food
Preservers and extension staff.
Needlework on display in Moro
A remarkable display of the
artistic needlework of six
generations of Oregon women is
presented by the Sherman County
Historical Museum in Moro for
September.
Fifth in a series of monthly
Sherman County Artists/Artisans
Series,
Dorothy
Benson's
collection of the work of pioneer
Ann (Squires) Burton, her
daughter, Amy Belle, who
married James Brown, and their
son, Robert Burton Brown, who
married Lena Caroline Lantis.
The threads continue with Bob
and Lena's daughter, Dorothy
Brown Benson of Kent, and her
daughters, Kathy, Vicki and Joni,
her daughters-in-law, Mamene
Carlson Benson and Pat Benson,
and her granddaughter, Tricia
Smith.
The 10 practical and creative
women in this six-generation
exhibit produced knitted sweaters,
a coat, table cloth, quilt, pillow
covers and cases, bedspread,
afghans,
doilies,
Christmas
stockings and wall hangings.
Turning ordinary thread, yam and
fabric into something special, they
worked with cross-stitch, knitting,
fabric painting, embroidery,
crocheting, applique and quilting.
Open daily from 10 a.m. to 5
p.m., the national-award-winning
museum
offers
hands-on
experiences for people of any age,
and exhibits telling the Sherman
County story of Oregon Trail
pioneers. Native Americans,
settlers, wheat producers and
small town businesses.
The
museum's newest addition to the
implement collection is parked out
front, a 1936 John Deere
combine.
For more information call 541-
>5-3232.
W tb Sites
Design and Setup
H eppner G azette -T imes
6 7 6 -9 2 2 8
I 47 W illow H eppner
Young Patricians hold kickoff
The Young Patncians. high
school members of the St Patrick
Catholic Church, kicked off their
year of study with a taco feed on
Sunday. September 19
This week, on Wednesday at
7:30 p m . they will begin their
weekly meetings and this year's
studv of the ten commandments
Ponies win first game
By Rick Paullus
The Heppner Ponies won their
first game of the season by beat
ing the Athena-Weston Panthers.
22-0. on Thursday. Sept 16, at
Weston
Chuy Elguezabal ran for two
touchdowns and intercepted a
pass and returned it for a touch
down Elguezabal passed to Tyler
Boyer for two-point conversions
twice
The Ponies play again at home
on Thursday afternoon at 2 p m
Arts and Crafts group to meet
Morrow County Creative Arts
and Crafts Club will resume their
monthly meeting on Thursday,
Sept 30. upstairs at Kate's Pizza
The club will have lunch at 1 p m
with a short meeting to follow
Guests are welcome
The club is sponsoring an oil
paining workshop on Sept 23-25
by Robert Walton For more in
formation. call Bettv Mills. 676-
5546
Members of the club and guest
are invited to bnng their paintings
done in the workshop to the meet
ing on Sept 30 to show them off
Warnock residence named yard of the month
Births
Jennifer Resendiz Santos-a
daughter Jennifer was born to
A frica Santos and Clemente
Resendiz of Imgon on September
13. 1999 at Good Shepherd Com
munitv Hospital in Hermiston The
babv weighed 7 lbs 12 oz
Jazmyn Star DuBry-a daugh
ter Jazmyn Star was bom to Starla
Kerns and Chet DuBry o f lone
on September 15. 1999 at Good
Shepherd Community Hospital in
Hermiston The baby weighed 8
lbs 5 oz
Shirtcy Warnock
The home of Shirley Warnock on
Water Street in Heppner has been
selected as the September y ard of
the month, sponsored by the
Heppner Garden Club and Green
Feed and Seed
Warnock. who moved in the
house about three y ears ago savs
she has had fun working in the
vard