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The annual observance of American Education Week honors students, teachers, education support professionals, parents, and community members who help students succeed. Please join us in thanking everyone who works so hard in providing a quality education for the students in the Fern Ridge School District. You are all appreciated.
Reminder – “The District-Wide Sustainability Workshop – How green do we want to be?” is scheduled for this evening, Wednesday, November 12th from 6:30 – 8:30 pm at the District Administration Office Board Room. Hope to see you there!!!
Today we received tragic news. We were informed of a car accident on Hwy 126 just East of Mapleton that claimed the life of two young adults and seriously injured others. Several of those involved have many close ties, friends and family in the Fern Ridge area.
Elmira High School created a “safe room” where students could go to talk to an adult and or a counselor if they needed to do so. EHS will maintain this “safe room” again tomorrow as needed. Several families understandably picked up their students from school today. In the coming days we trust families to make the best decision for their student regarding school attendance.
We are here to support students and parents in whatever way that we can. Our thoughts and prayers are with the Mapleton High School community and the many families affected by this tragedy in our local area.
We would like to share with you the August 25, 2014 Inservice speeches of: Dr. Nancy Golden, Chief Education Officer of Oregon Education Investment Board. Dr. Golden gave an overview of the statewide vision for education. Dr. Sally Storm, Superintendent, gave her vision of what good schools look like and what she wants to see in Fern Ridge School District. Dr. Storm’s topic was the research on The Nine Characteristics of High Performing Schools.
Dr. Nancy Golden’s Speech
Dr. Sally Storm’s Speech
First Student, Transportation Services Contractor for Fern Ridge School District, is experiencing a severe bus driver shortage. Some bus routes are being combined, which is causing late pickup and drop off times. First Student is actively working to recruit, hire, and train more bus drivers. Some new bus drivers are scheduled to be on board within the next couple of weeks. We would like to thank you for your understanding during this time and we hope to have all bus routes running smoothly very soon.
The Fern Ridge School District is pleased to announce the successful sale of $26.67 million in general obligation bonds, as approved by voters in May 2014. The sale was well-received by investors and thanks to favorable interest rates, total interest costs for the sale were almost $2 million lower than preliminary estimates, which allowed the debt repayment period to be shortened by three years without increasing the tax rate property owners currently pay. For more information, click here.
This is to inform you that the Fern Ridge School District Achievement Compact Committee will be meeting on Monday, September 15, 2014 at 4:00 p.m. at the District Administration Office, 88834 Territorial Road, Elmira, OR. For more information please contact 541-935-2253 Ext. 203.
All school offices will be closed on Monday, August 25, 2014 to allow for staff members to attend in-service activities. Offices will be open regular hours on Tuesday, August 26, 2014. Thank you.
With the future needs of our students as primary motivation and concern, Fern Ridge School District has purchased a small piece of property which lies between Elmira Elementary School and Elmira High School. Acquisition of this property follows the Capital Improvement Plan developed by the Fern Ridge School District Long Range Facility Planning Committee and DLR Group.
According to the plan, The Fern Ridge School District was to complete ten steps; one of which was to “Acquire strategic properties adjacent to Elmira ES and Veneta ES for future expansion and flexibility.” In part, the plan stated: Acquire strategic properties adjacent to Elmira ES and Veneta ES for future expansion and flexibility: The first phase of this plan does not require the acquisition of neighboring properties, but solutions toward future phases and potential growth that include neighboring properties would provide the District with greater flexibility. The Committee recommends land banking these properties if they become available at a cost within the prevailing market and within the constraints of the available budget.
This property could potentially be used for upgrading water systems, adding athletic fields, providing better access to and from the schools, or providing room for expansion of educational facilities.
The property is 10.79 acres and the purchase price was $335,000. The future sale of several other district properties will provide most of the revenue for this purchase. The transaction closed on Augsut 13, 2014. We are thrilled to be able to acquire this property for our students. – Dr. Sally J. Storm, Superintendent
Greetings! I hope everyone is enjoying a safe and fun summer with family. I have been here since July 1 and everyone has been very helpful and inviting! We are working this summer to spiff up the district for our returning students, staff and parents. Come by and see how things are looking! Sally J. Storm, Ph.D., Superintendent