EIGHT- Heppner Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon Wednesday, May 11, 2016
LEXINGTON SCHOOL
-Continued from PAGE ONE the loor in the old gymna- weddings or other events;
use,” said Morrow
County School District Su-
perintendent Dirk Dirksen
after turning over keys to
the property last week.
Sykes Real Estate of
Heppner handled writing of
the zone change application
and sale of the property for
the district.
As far as future com-
mercial uses, the new own-
er says the irst thing he is
going to do is set up his
pump shop there.
“I plan on taking out
sium, pouring concrete in
there and using that for my
shop,” says Bellamy, who is
the long-time owner of Lex-
ington Pump. He says he
has added new employees
to his business and wants
to see the business thrive
and grow in the future.
The main school building
is a possible location for
ofices.
Meanwhile, he’s con-
sidering putting a new shine
on the second-loor audito-
rium and renting it out for
May Kay Bellamy stands in the former classroom right where
her desk was located; she attended school in the building irst
through fourth grade. Mary Kay and husband Sam Bellamy
recently purchased the school building. -Photo by David Sykes
he wants to ind someone
who might develop those
ideas. The auditorium cur-
rently has 370 wood seats
and a stage with curtains.
Mary Kay Bellamy says
she can remember putting
on school programs on that
stage, and even pointed out
the spot in another room
where her fourth-grade
desk was located.
She estimated that the
school closed around 1964,
and said she attended grades
one through four there. Her
mother graduated from
high school there when the
graduating class had three
students. She said at one
time the grade school was
downstairs and the high
school upstairs.
“I have good memories
of school here,” says Mary
Kay Bellamy, and recalls
when Mrs. Jones was her
teacher in the fourth grade
and she sat at her desk
reading her favorite book,
“Strawberry Girl.”
Sam says other plans
for the building and proper-
ty include somehow “hon-
oring my Creator. I want to
Mary Kay Bellamy’s irst-grade class at the Lexington school. Left to right front row: Un-
identiied, Pat Kilkenny, Linda Cooper, Mark Pointer, Karen Edwards. Second Row: Ronnie
MaCorkel, Kiana Cutsforth, Ricky Jeannine Hunt, Penny Papineau. Back row: Mrs. Pratt,
Debbie Majeske, Vicki Irvin, Michelle Miller, Mary Kay Hughes, Vicki Steagall, Connie Pap-
ineau, Glenda Kay Van Winkle. The photo was taken in front of the Lexington Schoolhouse
now owned by Mary Kay Bellamy and her husband Sam. -Contributed photo
honor Him somehow with
a billboard or a display of
some kind.” He also said he
would like to do something
on the property to teach
creation science, in which
he believes strongly.
On the one hand, it
may seem a strange time
to take on the investment,
with Sam Bellamy think-
ing of retiring from the
pump business. His wife,
who at one time worked
in the building when the
district ofices were located
there, also is nearing retir-
ing from the school district.
However, the couple says it
is important to keep active
and not completely retire.
“This property (which
both say is in pretty good
condition) will be a work
in progress, that’s for sure”
says Mary Kay.
MCSD MEETING
-Continued from PAGE ONE Scrivner-assistant golf, resignations/non-renew- assessment policy reads as test impropriety” means Sr. High School, March
Sweeney; Heppner Jr./
Sr. High: library tech-Gin-
ger Bowman, department
secretary-Tracie Bunch,
head custodian-Michael
Doherty, head secretary-
Darcy Hostetler-Robinson,
ed assistants-Jessica Lentz,
Jessica Stelk, Robert Wil-
son, Amy Wolters, assistant
custodian-Teresa Parret,
head cook-Lori McCabe.
-approved the follow-
ing 2015-16 extra duty
coaching contracts recom-
mended for 2016-17: Hep-
pner High School: Greg
Grant-athletic director,
head football, head golf,
Virginia Grant-half-time
cheerleading, Les Payne-
assistant football, Kevin
Payne-assistant football,
Petra Payne-head softball,
Jeremy Rosenbalm-half-
time assistant football, head
boys’ basketball, Dieter
Waite-head volleyball, Min-
dy Wilson-assistant volley-
ball, Antonia Nichols-half-
time head cross country,
Russ Nichols, half-time
head cross country, head/
assistant track, Ken Grieb-
assistant boys’ basketball,
Mike Ehrsam-C-team boys’
basketball, Robert Wilson-
head girls’ basketball, Mark
Lemmon-head wrestling,
Jim Kindle-head baseball,
Todd Lindsay-assistant
baseball, Laura Winters-
head/assistant track, Matt
Janelle Ellis-half-time as-
sistant softball, Shelley
McCabe-half-time assistant
softball, Vacant-assistant
girls’ basketball; Heppner
Junior High School: Chad
Doherty-head football, Joe
Armato-assistant football,
Terri Gentry-head volley-
ball, Darcee Mitchell-as-
sistant volleyball, assistant
girls’ basketball, Rocky
Turner-head boys’ bas-
ketball, Jeremy Arbogast-
assistant boys’ basketball,
Adam Doherty-head girls’
basketball, Dieter Waite-
head wrestling, Antonia
Nichols-head track, Brandi
Sweeney- assistant track.
-approved the follow-
ing 2015-16 extra-duty
non-coaching positions
recommended for rehire for
2016-17: Heppner Elemen-
tary: Madison Rosenbalm-
Talented and Gifted coor-
dinator, Sarah Matheny-
half-time DART, Melissa
Coiner-half-time DART,
RTI coordinator, Mary Ann
Elguezabal-English Lan-
guage Learner coordinator;
HJSHS: Rick Drake-band,
Alaina Lemmon-drama
advisor, John Flaherty-
half-time TAG coordinator,
DART, Petra Payne-half-
time TAG coordinator, an-
nual advisor- to be deter-
mined.
-approved the follow-
ing employment action:
VOTE
JIM
D OHERT Y
COMMISSIONER
• BORN AND RAISED ON THE DOHERTY SHEEP
RANCH
• 18 YEAR MORROW COUNTY RESIDENT
• PRODUCTION AG DEGREE; BA IN BUSINESS
& HISTORY
• LONG TIME LIVESTOCK
BUSINESS OWNER
• HAS VISION, FORESIGHT
& COMMON SENSE
• UNDERSTANDS
CHALLENGES OF RURAL
LIFE & WANTS TO MOVE
MORROW COUNTY TO THE
FOREFRONT OF LIVABILITY
& COMMERCE
als: Anna Browne, WRE
ifth/sixth grade to end of
2015-16 school year; Betty
Hall, IJSHS language arts
teacher, end of 2015-16
school year, Emily Sarha,
IJSHS science teacher, end
of 2015-16 school year, Jar-
rett Thompson, RJHS social
studies, end of 2015-16
school year, head baseball
coach, end of 2015-16 sea-
son, Laura Thompson, SBE
second grade teacher, end
of 2015-16 school year.
-approved the follow-
ing retirements: Louise
Kienzie, WRE/SBE music
teacher, end of school year;
Dianne Skoubo, RJSHA
library tech, end of school
year.
-approved the follow-
ing employment/promo-
tions/transfers: Michele
Ashbeck, WRE/SBE ifth
grade teacher 2016-17, An-
drea Chairez, MEC/District
Ofice, part-time assistant
custodian, Franca Drake,
ACH first grade teacher
2016-17, Leah Gadsden,
IJSHS art teacher 2016-
17, Bruce Kernal, SBE
assistant custodian, Gary
Klinger, IJSHS assistant
custodian, Adam Lemmon,
ACH/IES elementary PE
teacher, 2016-17, Chelsae
Linehan, SBE/WRE K-
sixth grade music teacher
2016-17; Elizabeth Rosen,
RJSHS counselor 2016-17,
Leticia Zuniga, SBE assis-
tant custodian.
-approved the follow-
ing extra duty contract-
Matthew Scrivner, HJSHS
assistant golf.
-approved the first
readings of rescinded, new
or revised policies on local
wellness program, drug
free workplace and public
conduct on district property.
-adopted rescinded,
new or revised policy on
criminal records checks.
-heard a request for
clariication from a board
member concerning chang-
es in the district’s assess-
ment program. The new
follows, “A student may
opt-out of the Smarter Bal-
anced and/or alternate Ore-
gon Extended Assessments
in English language arts and
mathematics as provided in
state law. The district shall
provide the required notice
and necessary forms to the
student. The district shall
provide supervised study
time for students who are
excused from participating
in the assessment. Parents
and adult students will be
provided the required no-
tices that include a time
frame in which statewide
assessments will take place
and an adult student’s or
parent’s right to request an
exemption from taking the
statewide summative as-
sessments.
“For all other state-
wide assessments (OAKS
Online Science and So-
cial Sciences, ELPA21, the
Kindergarten Assessment,
and the Extended Science
Assessment), parents may
request that their student be
exempted from state testing
based on either disability
or religion. OAR 581-022-
1910 allows school districts
to excuse students from a
state required program or
learning activity, including
state testing, to accommo-
date a student’s disabilities
or religious beliefs. In order
for a school district to ex-
cuse a student from testing
under this rule, the student’s
parent must submit a writ-
ten request to the school
district, listing the reasons
for the request and propos-
ing an alternative individu-
alized learning activity for
the student that meets the
same goals that would be
accomplished by participa-
tion in state testing. Ap-
propriate school personnel
must evaluate and approve
the parent request.
“The district shall es-
tablish conduct and dis-
cipline consequences for
student-initiated test impro-
priety. “Student-initiated
student conduct that is in-
consistent with the “Test
Administration Manual or
accompanying guidance;
or results in a score that is
invalid.”
-approved the follow-
ing revised budget calen-
dar: March 18-budgets due
from superintendent and
assistant superintendent,
April 1-budgets due from
buildings and departments,
April 23-publish irst no-
tice of budget committee
meeting on website, April
27-publish second notice
of budget committee meet-
ing, May 10-budget com-
mittee meeting, district
office, Heppner Elemen-
tary School, 7 p.m.-elect
officers, present budget
message, present budget
document, receive citizen
input, review budget docu-
ment, May 24-inal meeting
target date for budget com-
mittee approval of budget,
June 1-publication of notice
of budget hearing and bud-
get summary and funds,
June 13-budget hearing 7
p.m., regular board meet-
ing, adopt budget, make
appropriations and levy tax.
-approve increase in
2016-17 substitute teacher
pay to $197.38 per day.
-approved a four-year
agreement with Mid-Co-
lumbia Bus to provide bus
services for the district
which includes an increase
of over $17,000, but with a
stipulation for MIDCO to
provide additional buses.
-reviewed the Oregon
Department of Education
nutrition services.
-approved the follow-
ing 2016-17 board calen-
dar: July-no meeting, Aug.
8-district ofice, Heppner
Elementary, Sept. 12-Sam
Boardman Elementary,
Boardman, Oct. 10-A.C.
Houghton Elementary, Ir-
rigon, Nov. 14-Windy River
Elementary, Boardman,
Dec. 12-Irrigon Jr./Sr. High
School, Jan. 2017-no meet-
ing, Feb. 13-Heppner Jr./
13-Morrow Education Cen-
ter, Irrigon, April 10-Ir-
rigon Elementary, May
8-Heppner Elementary,
June 12-Riverside Jr./Sr.
High School.
-adopted the Property
and Casualty Coverage
for Education, a self-in-
sured property and liabil-
ity program with Oregon
School Boards Association
(OSBA).
-received notice of the
OSBA summer board con-
ference, “Creating a Vision
for Student Learning,” at
Bend July 15-17. The key-
note speech, “Vision for
School boards to Effect
Positive Change in Student
Learning” will be presented
by Kip Motta, Richland
School District, Utah. Other
conference topics include,
“Framing the Equity con-
versation for Today and the
Future,” by Mary Fertakis,
National School boards
Association; “Address-
ing the Needs of Our ELL
Students,” by Taffy Carl-
isle, Oregon Department
of Education, “Closing the
Achievement Gap,” by C.J.
Robbins, city of Portland,
“LGBT Legal and Equity
Issues in your Schools,”
by Kelly Noor, Garrett
Hemann Robertson P.C.;
and “Eliminating Barriers
for Under-Represented and
Students of Color Through
Board Policy and Action,”
Mary Fertakis, NSBA.
-received the following
announcements: MCSD
budget committee meet-
ing, May 10, HES; Crystal
Apple awards, May 17,
Pendleton Red Lion; se-
niors’ last day, Thursday,
May 26; Memorial Day
holiday, Monday, May 30;
graduation, Saturday, June
4-RHS, 10 a.m., IHS, noon,
HHS, 2 p.m.; students’
last day, Thursday, June
9; OSBA conference, July
15-17, Bend.
-held an executive ses-
sion concerning student
expulsion.