The Nugget Newspaper - News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon

The monthly meeting of the Sisters School Board took place Wednesday, June 1, at the district office. Board members Jenica Cogdill, David Thorsett, Jeff Smith, and Don Hedrick attended. Edie Jones was absent.

Prior to the start of the meeting Hedrick was honored by his board colleagues and other school staff with a reception. Hedrick, who is 88, announced last month that the June board meeting would be his last after 11 years of service.

Curt Scholl said to Hedrick, “When I got here as a newbie, it was very nice to have someone on the Board with public school experience and gave me great advice and support along the way.” Hedrick spent his entire career in education, including as a high school principal.

The deadline for applicants interested in being appointed to the Board to replace Hedrick was June 4. Applicants will be reviewed in the upcoming weeks and one will be selected to complete the remaining 11 months of Hedrick’s term.

In Board business:

- The Board voted 4-0 to approve the school budget for the 2022-23 school year. The grand total of the budget, which includes the nearly $40 million for the new elementary school, is $67,787,275. The resolution to adopt the budget also included agreement on making appropriations and categorizing and levying taxes.

- Tim Ross, chairman of the Graduate Resource Organization (GRO) presented the Board with data from the 2022 allocation of local scholarships that GRO facilitates. A record $273,000 was awarded to 60 graduates this year as the organization continues to gain new contributors. Fifty-seven percent of the contributors are private individuals, 22 percent civic organizations, and 21 percent are local businesses.

- Each of the school administrators presented on their building goals related to the District vision on the themes of “Belong, Prepare, and Inspire.”

- Special Programs Director Lorna Van Geem briefly related that the transitions for her students are underway from elementary to middle school, middle school to high school, and high school to next steps.

- Five new staff members got formal approval to be hired, including middle school health/PE, sixth grade science, elementary art, high school band/music, and high school counselor.

- The regular meeting adjourned and the Board moved to executive session for the annual evaluation of superintendent Curt Scholl, whose contract was renewed for three years.

- The Board will hold an organizational meeting in lieu of the regular monthly meeting on July 6, at 6 p.m.