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About The independent. (Vernonia, Or.) 1986-current | View Entire Issue (May 6, 2004)
Page 14 The INDEPENDENT, May 6, 2004 Vocational education, program realignment occupy Banks board An active discussion about revitalizing the vocational cur- riculum engaged the Banks School Board at their April 12 meeting, and Superintendent Marilyn McGlasson presented an overview of program re- alignments that will occur next year. McGlasson told the board that the number of students served in the vocational cur- riculum has dropped signifi- cantly over the last several years and the curriculum needs updating to address more of the student population. To be- gin the process, an advisory committee composed of Willis Meeuwsen, Jim Foster, Jim Smith, Bob Herinckx and Hap Vandehey met last month to re- view the vocational curriculum. Herinckx said he was pleased to report that the FFA alumni and the administration are “headed very much in the right direction,” and that only minor curriculum revisions were needed, though the course descriptions were out- dated. Foster added that his goal, as high school principal, was to have every class [in the vocational curriculum] be proj- ect-based. The program, previ- ously called vocational agricul- ture, will be renamed vocation- al education and will provide a broad overview of both the business and hands-on as- pects of agriculture, and in- clude an introduction to the building trades. Whihle Herinckx stressed the importance of hiring an en- thusiastic instructor, McGlas- son said that it will be very diffi- cult to find a qualified applicant and that the nuances of the cur- Forest Grove Honda Your Home Town Dealer Since 1972 3619 Pacific Ave. Forest Grove (503) 357-7300 (877) 500-7300 riculum will depend on the skill set of the successful candidate. Program Realignment Two major changes will be made next year in the alloca- tion of Title 1 funds and in meeting the needs of students who have extreme difficulty in a regular classroom. Oregon is one of a minority of states that do not require daylong kindergarten, accord- ing to McGlasson, but students entering school for the first time, whether in kindergarten or first grade, are a disparate group. “Bluntly,” she said, [we get] a ‘have’ and a ‘have not’ group.” Daylong kindergarten would allow an opportunity to narrow the gap, McGlasson ex- plained. Currently, kindergarten stu- dents attend class for a full day twice a week. Next year, stu- dents who qualify for Title 1 (approximately one-third of the students) will receive extra in- struction, during a Friday pro- gram targeted toward Title 1 enrichment. The program realignment will be nearly cost neutral, ac- cording to McGlasson, because Title 1 funds will no longer be used to serve students in the fourth grade and the number of students served in grades one, two and three may be slightly reduced. However, the advan- tages of concentrated attention in kindergarten will be seen in future years. Restructuring the special needs program may save the district some money, but Mc- Glasson stressed that the goal is to best meet the needs of students, not to save money. Currently, the district has a small number of special needs students who can function in a regular classroom only when attended by an instructional as- sistant. This model, she ex- plained, encourages students to become dependent on indi- vidualized instruction, but does not meet the needs of these students for living in the com- munity. This year, the high school successfully conducted a pilot program in which these students received instruction in core subjects (math, science, English and reading) in a self- contained classroom, with a certified special education teacher, then moved among the student body for elective classes. Although the use of library materials and services provid- ed through Washington County Cooperative Library Services (WCCLS) has increased by 44 percent over the past four years, funding was cut 10 per- cent this year as a result of the 2002 levy failure. The result was a reduction of $1,091,370 in support for the twelve mem- ber libraries of WCCLS, includ- ing Banks Public Library. Book budgets for local li- braries were reduced by about 40 percent. The remaining 60 percent came from eliminating EAT AT JOE’S For every month you pay we’ll give you an additional month FREE* (up to six months) Best Breakfast House Around Pay 1 Month get 2nd Month FREE Located in Manning 503-324-2039 4770 NW Sunset Hwy Maintenance No major repairs have been done for the last six years, Mc- Glasson told the board, so two maintenance issues must be addressed in next year’s budg- et. Roofs on all district buildings have deteriorated and some re- pair work must be done next year. Additionally, a study is needed to develop a solution for lighting upgrades at the high school, in order to replace fluo- rescent ballasts which contain PCBs. Reduction in library services likely without approval of Measure 34-77 BANKS MINI STORAGE Call or Stop By for Weekly and Monthly Specials! Next year, the program will be extended to both the junior high and elementary schools. Students will have a home- room, but will still go to physical education, music, art and other subjects with their age mates. The downside of this change is that the district will lay off three instructional assistants. Pay 2 Months get 3rd & 4th Months FREE Check us out and you’ll want to check in! * Specials available for a limited time only. Gates Operate Daily 7 AM - 9 PM Office Hours: Mon- Fri 10 AM - 6 PM Sat 8 AM - Noon 140 NW O AK W AY , B ANKS • 503-324-0552 staff positions, reducing open hours, and cutting back on the frequency and variety of pro- grams for adults, youth and children. Priorities for library services are determined at the local level, so reductions has varied from one library to an- other. Banks Library In order to restore local li- brary services and maintain li- brary service levels, the Wash- ington County Board of Com- missioners voted unanimously Please see page 20 S TRASSEL ’ S A UTO R EPAIR & H YDRAULIC H OSES 2-4-6 S PIRAL W IRE F LANGE H EAD • S UCTION H OSES A DAPTORS - 3/16” TO 2” B ULK O IL P RODUCTS 276 S UNSET , B ANKS 503-324-9808 SUNSET LAUNDRY Wash…$1.00 Dry…25¢ 180 S. Main St. Banks, Oregon
