Page 12
The INDEPENDENT, February 21, 2008
Banks School Board told 4th section improved 1st grade reading
The Banks School district
Board of Directors meeting on
February 11, 2008, started with
several presentations. First,
Caitie Oakes talked to the
board about her role as editor
of the yearbook for the high
school. The junior started on
yearbook last year as a writer
and advanced to editor this
year. She said that improved
technology with digital cameras
is allowing for a more colorful
yearbook and one that is easier
to put together. Oakes designs
the pages, then eight photogra-
phers and eight writers create
the pages. Oakes oversees
their completion and the final
product. All photographs in this
year’s yearbook will be in color;
the theme will be “Find the
Brave in You.”
Janet Lea, choir director at
the junior high and high school,
told the board about her first
semester of directing choirs.
She said the high school select
choir has grown from 14 to 28
members and the junior high
choir has grown to 38 mem-
bers. She said she is focused
on building the choirs and get-
ting them active in the commu-
nity.
Amy Hansen of WSE Insur-
ance presented her annual re-
port to the board. She said the
insurance market continues to
be soft and that she expects
premiums to remain flat in the
immediate future, but that dis-
appointing investment returns
make it hard to predict beyond
that. She praised the district for
obtaining a safety grant and for
its continued good performance
on having limited worker’s com-
pensation claims.
Charles Rynerson presented
the results of the enrollment
forecasts from 2008-09 to
2017-18 as prepared by the
Population Research Center of
Portland State University. He
said that two scenarios were
considered: one high and one
low. The high scenario includes
an expansion of the urban
growth boundary, which would
allow for more growth in the
district. He pointed out that
even if the expansion occurs
within the next year, it would
still be a few years before
school enrollment would be im-
pacted because it will take time
for building to take place. But
the district could experience a
growth of up to 50% between
2012 and 2022. The low sce-
nario assumes no urban growth
expansion and a smaller popu-
lation increase.
Special board meeting
During a special session
held January 17, the board
passed a resolution to approve
the issuance of a public bond to
raise money for improvement
of district facilities. The date
and amount of the bond will be
approved by the board at a lat-
er date. The facilities commit-
tee has been exploring the dis-
trict’s needs and will soon pres-
ent a final report. The board
can then determine what the
bond would entail.
During the work session be-
fore the February 11 meeting,
Will Moore told the board about
what he learned at a bonds and
ballots conference. He clarified
that the district’s priorities are
providing for student safety,
meeting increased academic
requirements, and planning for
future growth. He talked exten-
sively with other districts about
what they had done to facilitate
the bidding, bonding and build-
ing process. He said it was rec-
ommended that the district
have a consultant to help with
the process, from crafting the
bond through construction.
The board heard a second
reading of two policies and vot-
ed to approve both of them.
One policy addressed an up-
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el expense reimbursement, and
the other clarified when public
bidding must be conducted.
Numerous policies had a
first reading to update special
education policies. Superinten-
dent Marv Ott said that they in-
clude changes in terminology
and definitions, and also define
the eligible ages of services as
pre-K to age 21. There was no
discussion of the policies and
they will return for a second
reading and vote next month.
The second grade team of
teachers spoke during audi-
ence time to thank the board for
having four sections of second
grade this year. They also pre-
sented a report detailing how
reading skills have been im-
proved by having a fourth sec-
tion of first grade for two years,
and now for second grade.
They said the smaller class
size allows them to differentiate
the curriculum across ability
levels, spend more one-on-one
time with each student and fos-
ters a better sense of communi-
ty within the classroom. They
asked the board to consider
keeping the fourth section in
coming years.
BHS first semester Honor Roll
The following students were
named to the Banks High
School academic Honor Roll
for the 2007-2008 1st semes-
ter. Grade Point Averages
(GPA) are on a scale of 1-4,
with 4 equaling a perfect score
(4.0 GPA indicated with an as-
terisk).
Seniors – Michelle Boyk*,
Evan Chalupsky*, Anna Clink,
Ashlee Falkner*, Ammaron
Gibson, Ryan Hayden, Josh
Heath, Ramona Heitmann,
Rene Johnson, Austin Ken-
nedy, Christy Lazott, Janna
Lee, Bradley Markham, Antho-
ny Martin*, Madison Miller,
Ashley Narum, Jennifer Neely*,
Chase Nielson, James O’Neil,
Cymry Reardon, Jordan Sand-
wisch, Adam Sladden, Rachel
Slaughter*, Heather Sullivan-
Lanphier, Jordan Tijerina,
Sarah Warkentin*.
Juniors – Lexi Albert, Whit-
ney Blok, Dustin Bone, Amy
Browning*, Katherine Burgess-
er*, Stephanie Case, Janel
Coussens, Emily Duyck, Sam
Edison*, Gus Evers, Madison
Farley, Alyssa Halls, Jesse
Hosynek, Cameron Hovda*,
Brittaney Jones, Amanda
King*, Sean Klopfenstein, Tre-
vor Lundsten, Johanna Lyda,
Jeffrey Manivanh, Jacob Mat-
thews, Katrina Mettee*, Tho-
mas Moore*, Rebecca Narum,
Janine Neely, Kipp Nielson,
Caitlin Oakes, Erin O’Mahony*,
Ben Prince, Jared Rue*, Kodi
Sandstrom*, Cody Shulund,
Matt Stone, Kelsey Taylor, Jas-
mine Teters, Peter Vergotis,
Kendra Willis.
Sophomores – Jared Acos-
ta*, Erika Atkinson*, Stephen
Clink, Matt Cutone, Kim Duyck,
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