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-
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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
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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
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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.
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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
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