State gives report cards to school districts and schools
State District/School Report
Cards have arrived and there
are no surprises in their evalu
ations for either Vernonia or
Banks schools.
Schools were rated in two
categories: Student Perfor
mance, which accounted for 80
percent of the rating, consid
ered improvement over time
and the percent of students
meeting state standards in
1999.
Student Behavior, which ac
counted for the remaining 20
percent, considered atten
dance, plus the dropout rate for
high schools.
Two additional elements are
on the report cards. School
Characteristics is based on the
percent of students taking state
tests. Other Information in
cludes the education and expe
rience of instructional staff and,
for high schools, SAT scores.
Probably of more specific in
terest to most people, were the
Voi. 15, No 4
rankings in elements of the
state standards: reading, writ
ing, math multiple choice and
math problem solving.
Vernonia Schools ranked
“Satisfactory" overall, except
Lincoln Grade School which
will not receive a report card
until late February because it
has no students in grades 3, 5,
8 and 10.
Banks Junior High School
and Banks Elementary School
were both rated “Strong,” just
one notch below the top rating
of Exceptional.
Banks High School ranked
Satisfactory, overall.
District Report Cards show
overall Student Performance,
Student Behavior, District
Characteristics and Other In
formation. “Other" is a table
showing the professional expe
rience of teachers and admin
istrators in the district in the
1998-99 school year.
Please see page 13
“ Voice of the Upper Nehalem River Valley”
Repairs are on the way!
Car seat check
up..............pg. 4
4-H activities
starting..... pg. 5
She’s a Champ
.................PS- 7
Banks School
news. pg. 10-11
February 16, 2000
Water project done,
rate increase starts
Now that 39,000 linear feet
of pipeline has been installed,
improvements made on the
Corey Hill Reservoir, a booster
pump station added, 620 water
services and 19 fire hydrants
replaced, plus 40 additional hy
drants installed, the City of Ver
nonia’s water distribution sys
tem has been transformed. It is
no longer inadequate and it will
be able to handle anticipated
growth for many years.
Additionally, the whole pro
ject was completed sooner
than anticipated— and that is a
mixed blessing. Starting March
1, an increase in rates will af
fect everyone who uses city
water.
JUDY HILL7THE INDEPENDENT
This 45-foot break in the Banks-Vernonia Linear Trail, just north of the Beaver Creek
The project started in 1996,
Trailhead, will soon be scheduled for repairs. Funds have been appropriated for the job,
when citizens identified the wa
specifications are being prepared and bids will soon be accepted, according to resident
ter system as a high priority
Park Ranger Scott Green. In addition to destroying the trail, the washout caused by
project that needed to be up
heavy rains during the winter of 1998-99 uncovered GTE’s fiber optic cable to Vernonia.
graded. Among the problems
resulting from a 40-60 year-old
water distribution system was
the loss of 40 percent of the
city’s treated water. This not
All members of the Vernonia council on changes in the peri scrutiny.
only wasted water, it wasted
City Administrator Michael
City Council agreed, at their odic review process for the
funds that were spent on ener
Sykes told the council that one
Feb. 7 meeting, that weight lim city’s comprehensive plan.
gy and labor costs.
Senate Bill 543, passed by or two junior or senior Vernonia
its are needed on most of the
Improvements have resulted
city’s residential streets. The the last legislature, exempts High School students will be in about two million fewer gal
question that is troubling to cities with a population of 2500 selected each semester to be
lons of water used this past Oc
them is how to institute weight or less within their Urban placed in a school-to-work op
tober and nearly three million
limits without unduly imposing Growth Boundary, from the re portunity in the City Hall office.
gallons less in November.
on people who may drive quirement for periodic review. The positions will be non-paid,
When the city received a
heavy trucks to their homes In lieu of that lengthy, expen but the students will earn high
grant of $631,300 and a loan of
and park them there overnight, sive and somewhat cumber school credits by fulfilling the
$2,093,700
from the federal
particularly in the case of those some, public process, small school-to-work requirements.
government, they were also re
who operate their businesses cities may now opt to take pro Guidelines and criteria are
quired to adopt an ordinance
posed changes to their com available at the high school.
from their homes.
Sykes also announced that that would increase water rates
In order to develop a work prehensive plans directly to
able ordinance, the council DLCD for review, assistance city planner Julie Coontz, who high enough to pay for all costs
asked that a draft be brought to and/or preliminary approval. is an attorney, will assume of the program, including the
their next meeting for review. Final approval will remain with some of the in-house duties of loan. The increase amounted
They will then set a date for a the Land Conservation and De City Attorney Diana Shera-Tay- to $12 per month, but the city
lor. Shera-Taylor will continue opted to institute it in incre
public meeting in order to allow velopment Commission (LCDC).
At this time, the City of Ver working on contract with the ments.
public participation in the final
The first $4.00 increase was
nonia has nearly completed its city in other capacities, includ
ordinance.
Rob Hallyburton, of the state periodic review so the council ing that of prosecuting attorney. in October, 1998; the second in
The council approved liquor October, 1999. The third seg
Department of Land Conserva is undecided whether to opt out
tion and Development (DLCD), or continue the process. That license renewals for Cedar ment was to have started in
gave a presentation to the decision will receive further Side Inn, Mini Mart and Sentry. October of this year but will
Weight limits heavy for council
INSIDE:
start March 1 because the job
is complete and the full in
crease must be in effect in or
der to close out the loan.
“Many homeowners will
reap the benefit of lower premi
ums for fire protection insur
ance, because of the new hy
drants,” public works director
Robyn Bassett noted.
The city has instituted Sys
tem Development Charges
(SDC) to accommodate future
growth. The SDCs are paid
when building permits are ac
quired for new residences. The
funds are placed in a reserve
fund that may then be used
only for capital improvements,
such as a new reservoir.
The new rates will be as fol
lows:
Residential, inside City limits
- $28.00 per month including
the first 2,000 gallons of water
used, plus $1.25 for each addi
tional 1,000 gallons used.
Residential, outside City lim
its - $27.50 per month, plus
$2.50 per 1,000 gallons used.
Business - $26.50 per
month, plus $1.25 per 1,000
gallons used.
Senior citizens, 62 or older,
will retain eligibility for a 15 per
cent discount on water (The
discount does not apply to
sewer charges.).
Rates for master meters and
multiple dwellings are available
at City Hall.
Holiday changes
Council schedule
The next meeting of the Ver
nonia City Council will be held
on Tuesday, February 22, in
stead of Monday, Feb. 21,
which is the Presidents's Day
holiday.
The meeting will begin at
6:30 p.m. in City Hall, 1001
Bridge Street.