Page 12
The INDEPENDENT, August 19, 2004
Board agrees that trees on playground
are a liability and should be removed
From page 1
ture. “The liability far exceeds
the esthetics” of these trees
and they should be removed,
according to Funderburg, and
the board agreed. Jones said
he hoped the board would con-
sider setting aside any revenue
from the removal of trees to
purchase landscaping or for
natural resource programs for
students.
Following the hearing, the
board convened their regular
meeting and voted to accept
the findings, which will allow
the district to serve as its own
contractor. The primary advan-
tage is savings in cost and a
shortened timeline compared
to the usual bid process. The
county will determine the eleva-
tion of the building in relation to
the flood plain, and other permit
issues. The board also ap-
proved the recommendation of
Willamette ESD to contract serv-
ices with Terra Architecture PC.
2004
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Funderburg reviewed sever-
al pages of information on the
results of schools progress un-
der the No Child Left Behind
Act, the Annual Yearly Progress
(AYP) rating and state assess-
ment results. A table of state-
wide results for all schools in
Columbia County shows that in
Vernonia, Clatskanie and
Scappoose all elementary
schools met AYP standards, as
did Scappoose Middle School.
None of the high schools in the
county met the standard.
The results across the state
were equally disheartening,
with more than 70 percent of
high schools failing to meet
AYP. However, Funderburg
said, the picture for small
schools is brighter. While only
two percent of 4A schools met
AYP, 18 percent of 3A schools,
and 27 percent of 1A and 2A
high schools were successful in
meeting AYP goals. Small
schools are clearly doing a bet-
ter job, Funderburg said, and
there is no reason that Vernon-
ia cannot be in this group.
Further details of AYP in Ver-
nonia show an across-the-
board failure to meet the needs
of special education students.
Funderburg said the district has
made structural changes in
special education and will be
changing directions. Additional-
ly, a new director, from North-
west Regional ESD, has been
hired to work with both Vernon-
ia and Scappoose.
late to the real world, and there
must be a positive relationship
between the teacher, student
and parent!”
State test results
A notable change this year
serves as an example of efforts
to raise standards. Students
must achieve a passing grade
in language arts and mathe-
matics, beginning in the sixth
grade, in order to advance to
the next grade level. Sixth and
seventh grade students who
fail in these subjects will be re-
quired to make up courses
through the regular school pro-
gram or in summer school. Fail-
ures in the eighth grade will re-
sult in the student remaining in
the junior high, unless the stu-
dent attends and passes the
necessary language arts or
mathematics course during
summer school or in a remedi-
ation program approved by a
principal.
State testing results were
also briefly discussed. Funder-
burg praised the work of Judy
Gingerich, whose third grade
class exceeded the statewide
average in both reading/litera-
ture and mathematics.
There was very little change
in the percentage of third
graders meeting the state stan-
dard in reading and literature
(R&L) between 2002-2003 and
2003-2004, but the percentage
of students successfully meet-
ing the standard in mathemat-
ics declined by seven percent.
Declines in success at the fifth
and eighth grade were even
more dramatic: five percent
fewer in R&L and seven per-
cent less in math at the third
grade; 17 percent fewer in R&L
and 12 percent in math at the
fifth grade level.
There was improvement at
the tenth grade level, however,
by eight percent in R&L and six
percent in math. Mist is not
evaluated because of the small
numbers of students at each
grade level. In his written report
to the board Funderburg said,
“Improvement is not happen-
ing, pride is missing, and ex-
pectations are too low. A fifth
grader only has one time to be
a fifth grader.”
Handbooks
The board approved new
handbooks for students and
staff and, in a letter at the be-
ginning of the book, Funder-
burg said that the handbook
should serve as a first resource
for information. The board uses
the vision statement and guid-
ing principles to focus decision-
making and “there will be con-
sequences” for anyone who
makes a decision to limit ac-
cess to a free and appropriate
education.
“I know that our district can
meet every student’s needs if
we focus on the three “R’s”:
Rigor, Relevance and Relation-
ships,” he said. “Instruction
must be challenging, it must re-
Changed promotion
standards
Miscellaneous
In other business the board:
• Accepted the resignation of
Patty Dickens-Turk.
• Hired Andrew Scherrer as
middle school counselor, Kim
Morrison as art teacher and
Carlie Price as Title I reading
teacher.
• Extra duty contracts were
awarded to Lorrie Webb as
high school activities director,
Jessica Streeter as yearbook
advisor, Aaron Pierce as junior
high head volleyball coach,
Scherrer as assistant football
coach at the junior high and
Price as assistant high school
volleyball coach.
• Approved School Improve-
ment Plans for both WGS and
Vernonia High School.
• Heard that all of the wood-
en play equipment at WGS was
quite rotten and was removed
for safety reasons. The small
slide from LGS was moved to
WGS.
• Decided that Funderburg
and board chair Jim Krahn
would work together to set
goals for the superintendent.
• Accepted a revised organi-
zational chart reflecting the clo-
sure of Lincoln and redistribu-
tion of administrative tasks.