School board to examine liaison program;
district earns ‘fantastic achievement reports'
Bessie Wetzell Newspaper I ibrarv
Umversity of Oregon
'
Eugene. O R 97403
VOL. 125
NO. 19
12 Pages
Wednesday, May 10, 2006
Morrow County, Heppner, Oregon
Sixth annual TV shoot winners announced
The 1000-yard TV
shoot was well attended and
supported.
Much
appreciation goes to all those
who helped make the day
successful.
The
1000-yard
winner was Gene Crowell.
Crowell had to have a shoot
off with Rick Barnett, but
cam e out the winner.
Crowell donated the prize
back to the committee for
Marvin Padberg, sponsor at Gene Crowell, winner of the 4 lh of July children’s
the Large TV at 1000 yards shoot.
prizes.
The winner of the
small TV shoot at 1000
yards was Jason Friend.
Lindsay Kincaid sponsored
this event, with a prize of
$100. Rick Barnett was the
winner of the Loyal Bums
sign-shooting contest. Pat
Thompson and Pat Schmitt
made the clay pigeon course.
The sponsors were
JVB Dairy- John and Janna
V andenB rink;
Jeff
Jason Friend, winner and Lindsay Kincaid, sponsor Thompson and Pat Schmitt;
Magnum Opus; Rainbow
for the Small TV at 1000 yards shoot.
Café; Morrow County Grain
G row ers; Bob Hubbard;
Jordan Elevator Company;
J.L.
K incaid
Ranch;
Wheatland Insurance; Justin
and Stacie M iller; Del
LaRue; Colliers Market; Pub
212; Bachman Paving; Bill
Breshears; Steve’s Pump
Service; Taylor's Restaurant;
Tom and Arlynda Gates; and
Loyal Bums.
Rick Barnett, winner and Loyal Burns, sponsor for the
$
Sign Shooting Contest at 500 yards shoot.
The Morrow County
School Board tab led a
decision to eliminate the
district's school-to-home
liaison program until board
members have a chance to
discuss the program and
alternatives at a May 15
work session.
C urrently,
the
d istrict em ploys non-
certified staff to serve as
liaisons between families,
some of whom are Hispanic,
and the schools. Liaisons
targeted fam ilies with
children who have problems
with health, truancy or other
issues. Superintendent Mark
Burrows had recommended
that the program, which was
funded by Medicaid dollars,
be eliminated. Instead the
d istrict would em ploy
certified counselors in north
Morrow schools to work
one-on-one with students.
T
h
e
re c o m m en d atio n
was
partially prom pted by a
red u ctio n in M ed icaid
m onies to only around
$50,000. R etaining the
liaison
program
and
employing the counselors
would cost the district too
much, probably in the
neighborhood o f $200,000,
said Burrows
B urrow s, Windy
River Elementary Principal
Thad Killingbeck and A.C.
H oughton
E lem entary
Principal John Sebastian said
at the meeting that they
believe that full-tim e
counselors at Boardman and
Irrigon elementary schools
would be better able to serve
students and having both
p rogram s
w ould
be
redundant.
M CSD
English
Language Learner director
Joel Chavez, who supervises
the liaison program, said at
the meeting that he believed
the program was important
to Hispanic families and their
children. Chavez told the
board that if they eliminate
the liaison program, they will
probably see an increase in
the district’s drop-out rate.
“Liaisons have been very
effective in getting students
back
in
school
in
B o a rd m a n ,” he said.
However, he added that the
program has not been as
effective in Irrigon.
A d d itio n a lly , the
liaison program has run into
o th e r p ro b lem s. At the
meeting Monday night at
Windy River Elementary
School in B oardm an,
Elizabeth Melendez, who is
employed with the district as
a liaison and whose position
will be eliminated, tearfully
told the board that it wasn't
her fault that another liaison
and a counselor had visited
boyfriends away from school
during school hours. “I'm a
mother,” said Melendez. “I
just want you to be aware of
w h a t’s going on in the
schools.”
Burrows said he had
re c eiv e d an a n o n y m o u s
letter to that effect, but as per
policy, the district does not
act
on
anonym ous
complaints.
After the meeting,
board m em ber Berto
Hernandez. Boardman. who
was the lone dissenter in a
vote to eliminate the liaison
program and reduce the
staff, told the Gazette-Times
that he b eliev ed the
"problem was bigger than
that.”
“Everybody agrees
we have some problems,”
board member Bill Kuhn told
the Gazette later. "Maybe we
have the w rong people,
maybe w e ’re not paying
them en o u g h , m aybe it
would be more effective with
a different program.” What
became apparent and what
prompted tabling the issue
until more research, said
K uhn,
was
that
a d m in istra to rs were not
u n a n im o u s
in
their
assessment of the program’s
effectiveness.
Burrows said at the
meeting, and Kuhn reiterated
later, that most of the district
e m p lo y e e s who will be
d isp la ce d as a result of
e lim in a tin g the liaison
p ro g ram .
including
Melendez, will be rehired in
different positions with the
district. The elimination of
the program will not affect
Chavez’job as ELL director.
Burrows said.
In good news for the
district. Burrows reported
that d istrict receiv ed
“ fan tastic
student
a ch iev em en t
re p o rts."
Burrows said that district
stu d en ts have already
exceeded their scores last
year and credited teachers,
administrators and assistant
superintendent Wade Smith
for the good reports.
Burrows said the district is
looking forw ard to the
school report cards this year.
“I’m really, really tickled,"
said Burrows.
Burrows also said
that a job fair hosted by the
district was very successful
and the district came away
with som e very good
recruits.
In other business, the
board:
-learn ed that the
state legislature approved
the use of lottery monies for
schools, w ith approximately
$ 180.000 earmarked for the
continued page 2
Heppner students celebrate Prom
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Heppner City Council passes amendment
to allow parking of trucks off street
The Heppner City
C ouncil passed and the
m ay o r
approved
an
o rd in an ce to am end a
Heppner City Code to allow
parking of trucks off street
at th eir May 8 council
meeting.
The
code
was
amended with the following
language, “A truck without
a load that is not a semi
tra c to r truck (a truck
designed to haul a trailer) or
a semi-tractor truck without
a trailer may be driven to the
residence of the owner of the
truck for the purpose of
parking or for minor repairs.
The truck must be parked
off-street. Minor repairs are
rep airs that can be
accomplished without the
use of power equipment.”
An emergency was
also declared so the
ordinance would be in full
force
and
effectiv e
immediately.
In other business,
Larry Mills asked the council
for permission to use the city
park for overflow during
Cycle Oregon in September.
The council approved the
use.
’ M em bers o f the
council will walk through the
sewer plant and fire station
on Tuesday, May 16.
No action was taken
on creating a policy for use
of city facilities for religious
functions. The discussion
stemmed from recent use of
City Hall for a National Day
of Prayer meeting.
ALL NEWS AND ADVERTISEMENT DEADLINE:
MONDAYS AT 5:00 P.M.
Heppner High School students celebrated their Prom on Saturday, May 6. The Prom
Court included: (Front Row): King Dan Kasile and Queen Laurie Murray ; (Middle Row
L-R): Abby Key. Heather Yocom, Heather Kill and Brittney Herbison and (Back Row L-
R): Peter Geer, Kory Kilkenny, Matt Van Cleave and Mikel Britt.