I
Heppner Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon
SCHOOL DISTRICT
-Continuedfrom PAGE ONE
ing, 61.7 percent fifth grade
math, 83.9 percent sixth
graders not chronically
absent, 50.3 percent eighth
grade math and 79.8 percent
ninth grade not chronically
absent, with an additional
category of ninth graders
on track to graduate-79.9
percent; for disadvantaged
students-kindergarten as
sessment-97 percent, third
grade reading-58.3 percent,
fifth-grade math-51.5 per
cent, sixth-grade not chron
ically absent—83.5, eighth-
grade math-44.3 percent,
on track to graduate-76.3
percent, ninth-grade not
chronically absent-79.2.
MCSD’s 2014-15 goals
for all students are: kin
dergarten assessment-100
percent, third-grade read
ing-69.2, fifth-grade math-
64.7 percent, sixth grade
not chronically absent-86.9
percent, eighth-grade math-
53.3 percent, ninth grade
on track to graduate-82.9
percent, ninth-grade not
chronically absent-82.8
percent; for disadvantaged
students the goal is: kin
dergarten assessment-100
percent, third-grade read
ing-61.3, fifth-grade math-
54.5, sixth-grade not chron
ically absent-86.5; eighth-
grade math-47.3 percent;
ninth-grade on track to
g raduate-7 9 .3 p ercent,
ninth grade not chronically
absent-82.2 percent.
MCSD Assistant Su
perintendent George Men
doza said that the district
has really shown a lot of
grow th in reading, but
added that one of the dis
trict’s goals is to increase
students’ math proficiency.
The district will submit
the final version of its com
pact to the Oregon Educa
tion Investment Board on
Oct. 15.
Also at the meeting,
Superintendent Dirk Dirk-
sen told the Gazette-Times
that C hief Financial Of
ficer Andy Fletcher has
resigned to take a position
with Columbia Basin Elec
tric Co-op. Dirksen said
that Fletcher has already
begun working for CBEC,
but has agreed to continue
to serve the school district
as chief financial officer
and maintenance consultant
for the time being, until the
district can find a replace
ment for him.
In other business, the
board:
-heard a presentation
on Windy River Elemen
tary’s science program from
teacher Anna Browne;
-ap p ro v ed an early
graduation request from an
Irrigon Junior/Senior High
School student.
-adopted rescinded,
new or revised policies
on: board member ethics
and conflicts o f interest,
board member ethics and
nepotism, hazing/harass-
ment/intimidation/bullying/
menacing/cyberbullying,
personal electronic devices
and social media-staff, in
structional resources/in-
structional materials, and
animals in district facilities.
-approved appointment
of Shannon Boor to Posi
tion #5 on the budget com
mittee and Janet Dezeliem
to Position #4.
-adopted a resolution,
the “Promise of Oregon,”
an Oregon School Board
A sso ciatio n reso lu tio n
that promotes education
and sufficient education
funding. Dirksen said that
OSBA has made it clear that
they oppose any education
reform that comes without
funding.
-received the follow
ing enrollment report for
October: A.C. Houghton
Elementary School, Irri-
gon-297, Sam Boardman
Elementary-358, Heppner
E lem entary-187, Irrigon
E lem entary-174, Windy
River Elementary, Board-
man-202, Heppner Junior/
Senior High School-168,
Irrig o n J u n io r /S e n io r
High School-404, River
side Junior/Senior High
S c h o o l- 3 9 7 , M o rro w
Education Center-27, to
tal-2,214.
Dirksen remarked that
he was pleased with the
enrollment figures and said
that district -wide enroll
ment had increased across
the board.
-approved the follow
ing em ploym ent action:
resignations-Andy Fletch
er, chief financial officer/
business manager, Vanessa
Gutierrez, RJSHS ed assis
tant, Troy Johnson, IJSHS
JV boys’ basketball coach,
Phil Joyce, IJSHS junior
high assistant boys’ basket
ball coach, William Salis
bury, Irrigon schools facil
ity coordinator; employ-
ment/promotions/transfers-
Minerva DeLoera, RJSHS
ed assistant, Andy Fletcher,
chief financial ofificer/main-
tenance consultant, Bret
Maddox, SBE ed assistant;
extra duty contracts-Melis-
sa Coiner, HJSHS junior
high assistant girls’ basket
ball coach, Adam Doherty,
HJSHS junior high head
girls' basketball coach, Jar-
rett Thom pson, RJSHS
head baseball coach.
-received the follow
ing announcements: Oct.
21-Oregon School Boards
Association fall regional
conference, Condon, Oct.
30-end of first quarter, Nov.
10-next board m eeting,
IJSHS, 7 p.m., Nov. 11-Vet
eran’s Day holiday, Nov.
13-16-OSBA’s 68th annual
conference, Portland.
LISTEN IN G TO US
IN O REG O N
Wednesday, October 15,2014
-F IV E
lone FFA earns fourth in first
soils contest
The lone FFA Chapter participated in its first-ever soils judging contest last week in Irrigon.
The entire horticulture class attended and the advanced team earned fourth place. Pictured
(L-R): Hannah Padberg, Ivy Sandford, Katie Gilbert, Jennifer Hernandez, Miranda Taylor,
Danny Doherty, Amir Bayanayev, TJ Patton, David Smidmajer, Sam Gilbert. Daniel Holtz,
Joe Doherty and Brandon Peck. - Photo by Erin Heideman
Lexington Grange rooted in
the past, looks to the future
The Lexington Grange
(#726) was officially rein
stated July 10, 2014.
G ranges have been
present, especially in ag
ricultural com m unities,
for more than 100 years.
Granges across the country
strive to provide a meeting
place for people from all
walks of life who wish to
provide for their commu
nity, and forms a brother
hood not rooted in ritual
and pomp, but of service,
charity, community and
family. As organizations
evolve and new generations
take charge, new ideas of
what is necessary in our
community come forward.
L e x in g to n G range
Master Hannah Lankford
explained her excitement
for the reinstatement of the
grange by stating, “I like
the freedom the grange
provides to choose what
we will support. We aren’t
restricted to specific causes,
so we can look at our com
munity and provide as
sistance or programs that
aren’t currently available.
We also hope to offer a
place where local events
can be held, from weddings
to stockholder meetings.
“ C u rre n tly we are
working to rejuvenate a
building that is steeped in
Morrow County history
with records that go back to
the 1920s. It’s very exciting
to see what the grange has
done for this area in the past
and gives us an inspiration
for what we can continue to
do in the future,” Lankford
added.
Some of the improve
ments that have been done
to the historic building in-
SUffjf&S M f '
Lexington Grange #726 has been reinstated and restored, and
its members are full of plans for the future. -Contributedphoto
clude painting the exterior,
fixing drainage and plumb
ing issues, and painting the
side rooms of the building.
The building will be avail
able to rent.
At the first official
meeting, 23 new members
and one returning member
were initiated into the Lex
ington Grange. Members
joined for different reasons.
“ I am fairly new to
the Morrow County area,”
explained Grange Secretary
Haley Winters when asked
why she took an interest
in reinstating the Lexing
ton Grange. “It seemed a
shame for the building to go
unused when it is so beauti
ful and such a great place
for events. My interest in
reinstating the grange was
to get the building up and
running again and to serve
the community by hosting
events, completing service
projects and having fun in
the process.”
And the fun is coming
soon, grange members say.
Several events are already
planned for this fall and
winter.
The first event will be a
Pumpkin Picking Party on
Oct. 26, including a photo
booth, costum e contest,
pumpkin painting tables,
carnival games, and an FFA
hands-on learning experi
ence.
A craft fair will be held
Nov. 22-23; the entry fee
will be a can of food or $2,
all of which will go toward
food baskets for those in
need. Anyone interested in
being a vendor, fill out and
submit an application on
line at http://lexgrange726.
wix.com/grange.
Although the date has
not been set, a soup and
stew cook off will be held
late January. Grange mem
bers say they look forward
to hosting movie nights,
dances, educational lectures
and programs, and potlucks
in the future.
Anyone interested in
becom ing a Lexington
Grange member, visit the
website and contact an offi
cer with questions. Minutes
of our meetings and a calen
dar of events are available
for review.
Local schools outperform
comparison schools on state
report cards
FIGHTING FOR US
IN W ASH IN G TO N
Local school districts
report that their students
have outperformed most
other comparable schools in
a state rating system.
Morrow County School
District has reported that
its students outperformed
comparison school districts
data on five of six outcome
performance measures as it
relates to what students are
achieving in high school.
MCSD has eight schools
within the district. H alf
of the schools within the
district yielded strong per
formances based on the new
state school-rating criteria.
Gregei
Waiden
—
G RE G WA L D E N . C O M
■■■ » * -
VOTE GREG WALDEN
FOR CONGRESS
W
which rates schools from
a 1 (lowest performance)
to 5 (model school perfor
mance).
The school district re
ports that, com pared to
districts with similar de
mographics, MCSD seniors
outperformed their coun
terparts in college and ca
reer readiness, high school
graduation rate, completion
rate, dropout rate and con
tinuing education.
This year Heppner Ele
mentary and Heppner High
School have attained a Lev
el 4 rating. A.C. Houghton.
Windy River Elementary,
FO R S A L E
NEW N EV ER USED!
"My Passport Air”
ultra-thin portable storage,
ALWAYS PUTTING
O R EG O N FIRST
500 GB/GO; USB 3.0,
d e sig n e d fo r m ac
$79.99
See a t H e p p n e r
G aze tte -Tim e s
541-676-9228
188 w illo w H e p p n e r
if
Irrigon Junior/Senior High,
Riverside Junior/Senior
High, and Sam Boardman
Elementary achieved Level
3 performance, while Ir
rigon Elementary School
obtained a Level 2 rating.
lone School District’s
lone Community School
received a Level 4 rating
for the second year in a row.
As part o f the state's
federal w aiver ap p lica
tion, Oregon developed a
new accountability system
with a greater focus on stu
dent learning and growth.
Schools also receive a rat
ing that com pares them
to “like” schools. Schools
are rated as below average,
about average, or above
average as com pared to
sim ilar schools. This is
intended to provide parents
and community members
with another perspective on
achievement at the school.
For more information,
go to your child's school
site main office and ask
for a copy, or visit http://
www.ode.state.or.us/data/
reportcard/reports.aspx and
select your school district.
I