TEN - Heppner Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon Wednesday, March 14, 2018
Morrow County School District develops crisis plan
By April Sykes
Morrow County School
District Superintendent
Dirk Dirksen told the
school board and audience
Monday night that the dis-
trict has been working with
Boardman Police and Am-
bulance, fire departments,
Morrow County Sheriff
Ken Matlack and the sher-
iff’s department, Oregon
State Police, Community
Counseling Solutions and
its director Kimberly Lind-
say, school nurses, counsel-
ors, teachers and students to
develop a proactive plan in
the event of a serious school
incident. He said protecting
students and teachers is of
the utmost importance to
the district.
Dirksen said that an
emergency drill has been
scheduled for Friday, Apr.
13, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at
all Boardman schools-Sam
Boardman Elementary,
Windy River Elementary
and Riverside High School-
to prepare and determine
district readiness in the
event of “an emergency
situation occurs at a school
building, such as a natural
disaster, a fire or gas leak
or violent incident.” He
said “the drill will include
school staff volunteer stu-
dents, volunteers to portray
parents and emergency
personnel acting as if this
is a real emergency.”
Dirksen said “perform-
ing this type of drill is
essential to prepare staff
and students in following
established procedures for
various incidents that can
occur. We can have all the
safety protocols we need
in place in our schools, but
if we don’t practice them,
they will simply not be as
effective as they could be.”
He said that after
the mock incident at the
schools, “staff and stu-
dents will be bussed to a
separate location, where
the reunification portion of
the drill will take place.”
He said that “reunification
means when students are
evacuated from their school
building and bused to an-
other location.”
He said the drill is be-
ing conducted in partner-
ship with local law en-
forcement and emergency
responders, including the
Boardman Police Depart-
ment, Boardman Fire De-
partment, Boardman Am-
bulance, Morrow County
Sheriff’s Office and Oregon
State Police.
He said local residents
are advised that the drill
will seem like a real emer-
gency. Friday, Apr. 13, is
a no school in-service day
in the district. For more
information about the drill,
people are advised to call
the district in Heppner at
541-676-9128.
Dirksen also noted
that Riverside Jr./Sr. High
School was in lockdown
Mar. 8, when it was re-
ported a student had a gun.
According to a school re-
lease, “RJSHS Principal
David Norton immediately
contacted law enforcement,
removed the student from
class and searched his be-
longings.” It was deter-
mined that “no firearm was
located on the student’s
person nor in the school.”
Dirksen said there was no
imminent threat to students
or staff at any time.”
“The Morrow County
School district and law
enforcement take this situ-
ation very seriously. The
student has been removed
from school, a threat as-
sessment will be conducted
and law enforcement will
continue the investigation.”
“Morrow County School
District advises that it takes
a proactive approach to en-
suring school security and
student safety.”
“Students, parents, staff
and community members
are encouraged to use the
SafeOregon website, a
statewide tip line for report-
ing student safety threats.”
The website can be found at
www.safeoregon.com.
Dirksen also said the
district is offering addi-
tional assistance to young
students who seem to be
struggling, saying it is much
easier to address problems
in young students, rather
than when they are in their
teens.
Also at the meeting,
MCSD Board Chair Becky
Kindle announced the
board had completed Dirk-
sen’s evaluation and that he
scored between “excellent
and outstanding” on every
standard, adding that he is
“well respected with clas-
sified staff” and “continues
to foster a positive culture
in each school amongst the
staff and community.” They
also commented they were
very happy he “goes out of
his way to attend a variety
of different community
meetings and events to be
the spokesperson for the
district,” “has strong eth-
ics and values,” “leads by
example and provides good
leadership to his staff.”
They added, however,
that he “could improve in
the area of self-promotion”,
saying, “He does great
things within our district
not many realize and rarely
does he communicate to the
public and/or stakeholders
what he is doing and some
of the amazing things that
are happening district wide.
We are pleased with all of
his efforts and the effort
of his team and just want
others to know the great
job he is doing in leading
the district and helping to
ensure that we have the
appropriate programs and
resources available to our
staff and students.”
“Mr. Dirksen is doing
an excellent job in each of
the standards on behalf of
the district and he is meet-
ing or exceeding all the
requirements of Superin-
tendent of Morrow County
School District,” the board
concluded.
Dirksen said he hopes
to continue as superinten-
dent another three years
or so, hoping to make it to
a 40-year career. He was
also employed as a teacher,
coach and principal in the
district for many years.
In business, the board:
-received a report from
Larry Lehrke of Trem-
co Roofing and Building
Maintenance concerning
the district’s current roof-
ing situation. Lehrke told
the board the district had
done an excellent job of
maintaining the various
buildings, noting the ma-
jority of the buildings only
required maintenance and
repair, with some requiring
restoration and a very few
requiring replacement.
-received a 2017 audit
report for the district from
Oster Professional Group,
noting the following man-
agement comments: The
district ended the year with
a $1,818,044 deficit; es-
tablished a PERS Reserve
Fund to help offset the rising
costs of PERS with a fund
balance of $1,448,889; re-
ceived $8,156,902 in prop-
erty tax collections in 2017,
compared to $7,440,630 the
previous year, benefitting
from improved property
tax collections due to eco-
nomic growth in the county;
received an increase in
Basic School Support, from
$13,828,709 in 2016 to
$14,860,553 in 2017, due
to increased student enroll-
ment; purchased additional
technology and continued
to upgrade and replace
failing equipment; gave
over $107,600 in class-
room grants that teachers
could apply for specific
technology projects; ex-
panded wrap-around ser-
vices to include Ready for
Kindergarten classes in all
communities by partner-
ing with Umatilla-Morrow
Head Start and Heppner
Day Care, in addition to
wrap-around services that
already included two stu-
dent resource offices, two
care coordinators, one Early
Learning Care coordinator,
four Community Counsel-
ing Solutions counselors,
one school nurse and one
dental hygienist.
As for 2017 reve-
nues, the district: received
$830,593 in charges for
services, $2,997,189 in
operating grants and con-
tributions, $8,524,795 in
property taxes, $14,860,553
in state school fund gen-
eral support, $388,977 in
other federal, state and
local sources, $130,894 in
interest on investments,
$1,660,338 miscellaneous,
for $29,393,339 in total
revenues and $2,359 in
the sale of capital assets.
In the expense column, the
district spent $17,679,901
for instruction, $11,017,768
in support services,
$1,110,784 in enterprise
and community services,
$49,494 for facilities acqui-
sition and construction and
$979,576 in interest for long
term debt, for $30,837,523
in total investments for a
loss of $1,818,044 as of
June 30, 2017.
-received the following
revenue report as of Febru-
ary 28: the district received
$25,108,660 in revenue,
less $24,977,107 in ex-
penditures for $131,553
in revenue, a $3,509,347
beginning fund balance and
a projected ending fund bal-
ance of $3,640,900.
-received the follow-
ing enrollment report for
March: A.C. Houghton El-
ementary, Irrigon-283; Sam
Boardman Elementary,
Boardman-352; Heppner
Elementary-171; Irrigon
Elementary-215; Windy
River Elementary, Board-
man-249; Heppner Jr./Sr.
High-169; Irrigon Jr./Sr.
High-351; Riverside Jr./Sr.
High, Boardman-410; Mor-
row Education Center-87;
total-2,287.
-approved the follow-
ing employment action:
resignations/non-renewals-
Kathryn Christensen, SBE
first grade teacher, end of
school year, Joseph Cobb,
IJSHS head girls’ soccer
coach, Tessa Gourneau,
student services technician/
data manager, March 2, Ty-
lor Kershner, HJSHS junior
high assistant girls’ basket-
ball coach, Anna Gabriella
Sohl Taylor, RJSHS ELD/
Spanish teacher, end of
school year, Jill Williams,
IJSHS math teacher, end
of school year; retirements-
Tracie Bunch, HJSHS de-
partment secretary, end of
school year, Joseph Cobb,
IJSHS science teacher, end
of school year, Sherrie Len-
nox, WRE/SBE counselor,
March 16, Ron Prindle,
IES/IJSHS English Lan-
guage Learner teacher, end
of school year; employ-
ment/promotions/transfers-
John Christy, RJSHS vice
principal, 2018-19, Tresa
Grieve, MEC alternative ed
assistant, Madison Hynes,
RJSHS ag science/math
teacher, 2018-19, Connie
Lobato, student services
technician/data manager,
April Olsen, IES behav-
ior tech, Elizabeth Shane,
seven-12 online academy
teacher, 2018-19, Brianne
Stewart, ACH ed assis-
tant, extra duty contracts-PJ
Keefer, RJSHS assistant
high school softball coach.
-approved the follow-
ing probationary teachers
recommended for extension
for 2018-19 (Heppner listed
only)-Madison Rosenbalm,
HES fifth/sixth grade.
-approved the follow-
ing administrators rec-
ommended for extension
2018-19 (Heppner listed
only)-Matt Combe, HJSHS
principal/maintenance di-
rector, Dieter Waite, HES
principal.
-approved the fol-
lowing contract teachers:
HES-Lynn Calvert, Me-
lissa Coiner, Rick Drake,
Mary Ann Elguezabal, Sue
Gibbs, Sarah Matheny, Jo-
selyn Piper, Jeremy Rosen-
balm, Sybil Stewart, Ma-
rissa Turner; HJSHS-Jean
Collins, Beth Dickenson,
Rick Drake, Mary Ann
Elguezabal, John Flaherty,
Dave Fowler, Greg Grant,
Troy Morgan, Andrea Nel-
son, Jason Palmer, Petra
Payne, Jeremy Rosenbalm,
Marissa Turner.
-selected the pre-La-
bor Day start for school
for 2018-19 with students
beginning August 27, stu-
dents’ last day June 5,
Christmas break December
19-January 1, spring break
March 25-29. One hundred
seven staff members opted
for the pre-Labor Day start
vs. 69 preferred the post-
Labor Day start.
-adopted the Compre-
hensive Sexual Education
Plan for 2018-2024, which
outlines standards concern-
ing sexual health, disease
prevention, promotion of
mental, social and emo-
tional health, violence and
suicide prevention, includ-
ing textbooks. With adop-
tion, the plan also explains
district policy and state
laws associated with health
instruction, outlines stan-
dards by grade level tied to
the four areas, offers guide-
lines for parent/community
involvement and who to
contact with questions,
includes parent opt-out let-
ters and is reviewed and ap-
proved by the school board
every two years. According
to the district, the Health
Adoption Committee met
with community members
in all three communities
the last week of February
to explain legislation, docu-
mentation, standards, cur-
riculum and answer ques-
tions. “In each community
we had great questions and
feedback from community
members,” said the district.
-approved the school
budget calendar.
-learned of a vacancy
2018-19 budget commit-
tee for Position 2, which
expires June 30, 2019. Cur-
rent members include: Tom
Wolff, Position 1, expires
June 30, 2018, Amy Muel-
ler, Position 3, expires June
30, 2018, Janet Dezellem,
Position 4, expires June
30, 2020, Shannon Boor,
Position 5, expires June
30, 2020, Rita VanSchoi-
ack, Position 6, expires
June 30, 2018, and Loren
Dieter, Position 7, expires
June 30, 2018. Budget
committee members are ap-
pointed by board members
and serve for a three-year
term. The board voted to
delay appointment to the
budget committee until
the next meeting when a
proposed candidate has
decided whether or not to
accept the appointment.
-accepted and appropri-
ated unanticipated revenues
as follows: Heppner El-
ementary Associated Stu-
dent Body: $3,310 from the
Howard and Beth Bryant
Foundation to the Hep-
pner Elementary Chess
club; $691.60 from the PGE
Employee Giving Cam-
paign, Heppner Elementary
School General ASB; Ir-
rigon Jr./Sr. High School
ASB: $500 from Umatilla
Electric to Irrigon Jr./Sr.
High School Football Pro-
gram; $500 from the Bank
of Eastern Oregon to the
Irrigon Jr./Sr. High School
Football Program.
-held an executive ses-
sion to consider the dis-
missal or disciplining of, or
to hear complaints or charg-
es brought against a public
officer, employee, staff
member or agent. Follow-
ing the executive session,
the board reconvened to
terminate the employment
of Windy River Elementary
School sixth-grade teacher
Robert Weems who was
arrested in The Dalles for
multiple counts of sexual
abuse in the second and
third degrees. He had been
hired to teach at Windy
River July 1.
-heard the following
announcements: end of
quarter March 15; spring
break, March 26-30; next
regular board meeting,
April 9, Irrigon Elementary.
Bob Baker Memorial to be
held in Ione
The 14 th annual Bob
Baker Memorial will be
held Saturday, Mar. 24 at
the Ione American Legion
hall. Doors open at 5 p.m.
for the bake sale and the
sandwich and salad bar
meal. The games will be
Texas Hold ‘Em, Poker,
Bingo and Bunco as well as
a rifle and beef raffle.
Sign-up will start at 6
p.m. with play to begin at
6:30. The poker buy-in is
$40 and players are allowed
to re-buy until 7:30 p.m.
Bunco buy-in is $10 and
raffle tickets will be sold for
$1 each or six for $5. Bingo
will run from 5:30 to 7:30
p.m. and Bunco from 7:30
to 9 p.m.
The rifle being raffled
this year is a .22 long rifle
lever action repeater. There
will be two beef raffles,
each for one-half beef, cut
and wrapped.
Beverages at the fund-
raiser will be provided by
Bucknum’s. Raffle tickets
are available at the Ione
Market, MCGG in Ione,
from Legion and Auxiliary
members and at the door.
NRCS announces deadline
The NRCS is accepting
applications for the Envi-
ronment Quality Incentives
Program (EQIP) through
March 16 th . EQIP focus
areas are forest health in the
Kahler watershed, Russian
olive control in the Board-
man area, forest health in
Penland Lake and Blake’s
Ranch locations and post-
harvest pest management
south of Ione.
If you are located with-
in these areas and are in-
terested in EQIP assistance
please call the Heppner
NRCS field office at 541-
676-5021.
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