The INDEPENDENT, January 18, 2007
Page 13
Banks school board receives report from facilities committee
Banks Elementary School
Principal Bob Huston invited
sixth-grader Dallis Kendall to
the January meeting of Banks
School District Board of Direc-
tors, so she could read the per-
suasive essay she wrote to
convince him to root for the
Ducks. Huston invited all ele-
mentary school students to
write an essay to convince him
to be either a Duck or a Beaver
since he is new to the state. He
found Kendall’s to be the most
convincing. Kendall included
facts about the team’s record
and coaches in her essay and
was rewarded with a new
Ducks jersey.
The board heard the annual
insurance presentation from
Amy Hansen of WSC regarding
the district’s policies. She said
that the insurance market is
level to slightly soft. As a result,
the district’s rates are going
down slightly and liability limits
have been raised. She attrib-
utes the softening of the market
to increased competition within
the state. She also commend-
ed the district on their impres-
sive record with workers com-
pensation. The district will re-
ceive a 24 percent credit on
workers compensation rates
because of the lack of claims in
recent years.
The board approved super-
intendent goals for 2006-07.
These goals will be used in
evaluating the superintendent’s
performance and also as long
range goals for the district.
They provide guidance in the
areas of fiscal management,
curriculum and instruction, fa-
cilities, communications, posi-
tive work environment and stu-
dent success.
Gary Hartman, director of
the technology/assessment de-
partment, reported that Oregon
is evaluating the achievement
standards for statewide testing.
The review is required as part
of the No Child Left Behind Act.
At this point, the “cut scores”
(cutoffs for meeting standards)
have been reviewed and rec-
ommendations are being made
for adjustments. The adjust-
ments will be reviewed and
adopted in March and will apply
to tests that have already been
taken this academic year. As a
result, some students who met
standards may end up not
meeting and vice versa. State
School Superintendent Susan
Castillo asked the U.S. Depart-
ment of Education to delay im-
plementation of the new stan-
dards until the 2007-08 school
year. The request was denied
and is currently being ap-
pealed.
The school board has re-
ceived a report from the facili-
ties committee that was devel-
oped last spring. The volunteer
committee was composed of a
spectrum of citizens in the dis-
trict and was to look at how the
district should cope with current
student enrollment and predict-
ed increases. The report in-
cludes a comprehensive exam-
ination of the district’s buildings
and options for adding educa-
tional space. The board will ex-
amine this report in the coming
months. “It’s an impressive re-
port and an impressive effort by
the volunteers,” Director Will
Moore said. “This report will
help to guide the district for the
next ten years.”
Now it’s time to learn boating safety if you are sixty or younger
The Mandatory Boater Edu-
cation program is past the half-
way point of the age required
phase-in. Beginning in 2007,
powerboat operators 60 and
younger will be required to take
a boating safety course and
carry their boater education
card when operating boats
greater than 10 hp.
“This is our largest group of
registered boat owners,” said
MariAnn Koloszar, Education
Coordinator for the Oregon
State Marine Board. “There are
approximately 36,000 regis-
tered boat owners between 51
and 60 years old who will need
their education cards in 2007.”
Boaters have several op-
tions to meet the mandatory
education requirement. “We
encourage boaters to take ad-
vantage of classroom courses,”
said Koloszar. “It’s the best
learning environment because
instructors use various teach-
ing techniques that cater to dif-
ferent learning styles. Class-
room course materials are or-
ganized to make learning easy,
fun and interactive. Boaters
also have an opportunity to
Firefighters are ready to cook breakfast
Banks Volunteer Firefight-
er’s Annual Breakfast will be
Sunday, February 18, from
8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. in the
Banks High School Cafeteria.
The menu includes pan-
cakes or biscuits and gravy,
ham or sausage, eggs, fruit,
coffee, milk or orange juice.
Ticket prices for this year’s
breakfast will be $6.00 for
adults, $4.00 for children (6-12
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years of age), free for children
under 6 years of age, $5.00 for
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Purchase tickets at the door.
found at the Marine Board’s
website: www.boatoregon.com.
Costs of the various education
options range from free to
around $45. Classes and
equivalency exams are sched-
uled to fit boaters’ needs.
So far, the Marine Board has
issued almost 150,000 cards
and has one of the top compli-
ances for mandatory education
in the nation. The fine for not
carrying a card, along with oth-
er law enforcement violation
fines, was increased in 2006
from $94 to $97.
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Dingheiser
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FOOD, KEGS & ICE TO GO
Lunch & Dinner
Served Daily
SUNSET
LAUNDRY
11:00 am – Closing
Wash…$1.00
Dry…25¢
CASH PRIZES!!
180 S. Main St.
Banks, Oregon
learn about local hot spots and
hazards – information you can
only get in a classroom with
other boaters.” Koloszar adds.
The U.S. Coast Guard Auxil-
iary, U. S. Power Squadrons,
Oregon State Marine Board
volunteer Instructors, and other
private providers offer class-
room courses.
Your local Sheriff’s office of-
fers free equivalency exams
that are designed for the expe-
rienced boater. Approved inter-
net courses are also available,
and course information can be
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