BethelBlog by Superintendent Gill

Three members of the Bethel School Board have held their elected positions for more than 20 years.

Each week I try to share another interesting tidbit about Bethel School District. The facts show up on the BethelBlog and as a tagline on my email signature. To see the archive, click on the Bethel Facts Category to the right. If you have a Bethel Fact to share, please email me at: cgill@bethel.k12.or.us.

This is it, the official announcement of the reinstatement of the budget reduction days in March, April, May, and June!

In January, Oregon’s voters (and Bethel’s voters) passed ballot measures 66 & 67. Last week, the Oregon Legislature took action to secure $6 billion in funding for K-12 schools this biennium. These were the triggers for returning school days to our students. 

All 8 School Days Reinstated:

• April 12- This will be a regular school day.
• April 19- This will be a regular school day.
• April 26- This will be a regular school day.

The Bethel Education Foundation’s first round of mini-grants funded 24 school projects worth more than $7,700.

Each week I try to share another interesting tidbit about Bethel School District. The facts show up on the BethelBlog and as a tagline on my email signature. To see the archive, click on the Bethel Facts Category to the right. If you have a Bethel Fact to share, please email me at: cgill@bethel.k12.or.us.

The legislative session will be ending this week and it looks as if they have been able to maintain the level of  funding they aimed for last spring. This is wonderful news for the kids in our schools today! While this is not final, it is looking more and more certain.

It is important to remember that it is still less funding than schools had in the 2007-09 biennium and it will not solve our financial woes, however it will allow us to restore our school days this year. This week, as the legislature goes through it final stages, the district is reviewing ...

Mickey Loomis, General Manager of the Super Bowl Champion New Orleans Saints, is a 1974 graduate of Willamette High School.

Each week I try to share another interesting tidbit about Bethel School District. The facts show up on the BethelBlog and as a tagline on my email signature. To see the archive, click on the Bethel Facts Category to the right. If you have a Bethel Fact to share, please email me at: cgill@bethel.k12.or.us.

Bethel purchases food and drink products from these local companies: Thistledown Farms, Detering Orchards, King Estate, Cinco Estrellas, Quality Acres, Hideaway Hills, Winter Green Farms, Lochmead Dairy, Carmen’s Corn Chips, Daily Bagel, Golden Temple, and more! This practice provides healthy food for our students and supports the economy in Lane County by creating more local jobs!

Each week I try to share another interesting tidbit about Bethel School District. The facts show up on the BethelBlog and as a tagline on my email signature. To see ...

The Register Guard published an article this morning that carried this title: State budget still in hole- Passage of two tax-increasing reduced state revenue problems but didn't eliminate them.

The article covers the release of the State's March Economic Forecast, released yesterday. The forecast has the state down another $183 million since December. This has an impact on how much funding schools receive over the two year period 2009-11.

Last spring the legislature attempted to fund K-12 schools at $6.0 billion dollars contingent on two things

Last week the Bethel Education Foundation (BEF) gave out over $7,500 in classroom grants to Bethel teachers! They funded projects that could not be funded through district resources. Thank you Bethel Community for supporting the BEF and our kids! To learn more about the BEF go to: http://www.betheleducationfoundation.org/

Each week I try to share another interesting tidbit about Bethel School District. The facts show up on the BethelBlog and as a tagline on my email signature. To see the archive, click on the Bethel Facts Category to the right. If ...

86% of all locally processed food products purchased by Lane County Schools were purchased by Bethel. This practice provides healthy food for our students and supports the economy in Lane County by creating more local jobs!

Each week I try to share another interesting tidbit about Bethel School District. The facts show up on the BethelBlog and as a tagline on my email signature. To see the archive, click on the Bethel Facts Category to the right. If you have a Bethel Fact to share, please email me at: cgill@bethel.k12.or.us.

The results are not official, but it appears Oregon voters passed both Ballot Measure 66 & 67. If you would like more information on the election More information can be found at the Oregonian and the Register Guard.

My thoughts about this: The vote on Measures 66 & 67 indicates Oregonians want quality services. For us, that means providing a quality educational experience for Bethel children.

The vote significantly increases the possibility of restoring some or all of our budget reduction days this spring. That’s great news for Bethel ...

Bethel buys its milk products locally. This supports the economy in Lane County and creates more local jobs.

Each week I try to share another interesting tidbit about Bethel School District. The facts show up on the BethelBlog and as a tagline on my email signature. To see the archive, click on the Bethel Facts Category to the right. If you have a Bethel Fact to share, please email me at: cgill@bethel.k12.or.us.

Kelly Brye, host of the local radio program "Last Class of the Day" on AM 1320 invited me on to his program yesterday. In honor of School Board Recognition Month we highlighted the volunteer work of the Bethel School Board.

Click here to learn more about the talents our Board Members bring to the table.

The Eugene Education Association, Bethel School District, and Eugene 4J School District recently held a Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Essay Contest. Last night, at the Community Unity - MLK Celebration the winners were announced.

Dominique DeChiara received 1st place in the middle school category. Dominique's essay compared aspects of Dr. King's life with that of President Obama. Dominique was recognized at last night's celebration with a copy of Skipping Stones Magazine and a $50 award. She also got to read her essay to the community audience.

Way ...

Bethel is one of the few high schools in Oregon that requires financial literacy through personal finance courses…hopefully our kids will enter society with the financial knowledge they need to succeed!

Each week I try to share another interesting tidbit about Bethel School District. The facts show up on the BethelBlog and as a tagline on my email signature. To see the archive, click on the Bethel Facts Category to the right. If you have a Bethel Fact to share, please email me at: cgill@bethel.k12.or.us.

January is School Board Appreciation Month. Have you thanked a Board Member lately? Collectively, our Board Members are beginning their 103rd year of volunteer service to our community’s children. Learn more about our Board Members on our website.

Each week I try to share another interesting tidbit about Bethel School District. The facts show up on the BethelBlog and as a tagline on my email signature. To see the archive, click on the Bethel Facts Category to the right. If you have a Bethel Fact to share, please email me at: cgill@bethel.k12.or.

What is it?

Race To The Top (RTTT) is a Federal Grant that State Departments of Education Apply for. It is designed to encourage and fund educational reform. If Oregon's grant proposal is accepted it could bring about $175 million in Federal dollars to the state for school innovation.

Why does there seem to be controversy?

There are aspects of the Federal initiative that include support for charter schools, performance pay for teachers and other programs that carry much debate and conflicted research results. The initiative also calls for other innovations ...

87% of Bethel 3rd graders met or exceeded the state reading standards, remaining well above the Oregon state average.

Each week I try to share another interesting tidbit about Bethel School District. The facts show up on the BethelBlog and as a tagline on my email signature. To see the archive, click on the Bethel Facts Category to the right. If you have a Bethel Fact to share, please email me at: cgill@bethel.k12.or.us.

Just in case you’re cleaning closets over the holidays, here is a reminder of 4 easy ways to help Bethel students.

1. Goodwill Good Neighbor Program ~ for every 200 lbs of clothing or small household items donated to Goodwill, in Bethel’s name, we receive a $10.00 gift certificate to their stores for school clothes. The gift certificates are available to students in need upon request. When you make a donation, please tell the attendant that you want it to benefit Bethel School District and give them an estimate of how much it weighs. You are still ...

Bethel’s School year is about 5% shorter this year, due to budget reductions. December 18th is a no school day due to these reductions. Please check your district calendar to prepare for further possible no school days in April, May, and June.

Each week I try to share another interesting tidbit about Bethel School District. The facts show up on the BethelBlog and as a tagline on my email signature. To see the archive, click on the Bethel Facts Category to the right. If you have a Bethel Fact to share, please email me at: cgill@bethel.k12.or.u

A message from our school nurses:

Thanks everyone for your support of the Socks, Mittens and Meds drive.  We saw a decrease in donations this year, however we still brought in more than 426 articles of clothing- socks, mittens, hats, sweats, scarves and underwear.  We also collected over $220 for our medication assistance fund, with more trickling in each day.

These items are a tremendous help to our students and often a lifesaver to those working with students in the health rooms as well.

This is a funding for 4th, 5th, and 6th Grade Public School Classrooms to Execute Projects to Benefit the Environment! IT might be a good one to pair with a grant request to the Bethel Education Foundation.

The Disney Planet Challenge is offering full-funding for 4th, 5th, or 6th grade hands-on classroom project(s) we receive that aim to benefit the environment!

Who qualifies? --If you are a full-time 4th, 5th, or 6th grade teacher at a public school you can qualify for this funding!
How do you participate? There are three steps to qualify for this ...

87% of Bethel 3rd graders met or exceeded the state reading standards, remaining above the Oregon state average.

Each week I try to share another interesting tidbit about Bethel School District. The facts show up on the BethelBlog and as a tagline on my email signature. To see the archive, click on the Bethel Facts Category to the right. If you have a Bethel Fact to share, please email me at: cgill@bethel.k12.or.us.

Keeping Information Accessible
Some of the following information is reprinted from previous posts. However, as I receive questions and have conversations with folks around the district and community I think it is important to keep this information out there. I'd like us to be as accurate as possible with this information. I'll put this in a Q & A Format:

Question: If Ballot Measures 66 & 67 pass will the district receive additional funds to restore previous cuts?
Answer: Not exactly. The district will not receive more funding than the legislature ...

Bethel 8th graders’ math scores are at their highest levels since the district has been tracking math assessment data.

Each week I try to share another interesting tidbit about Bethel School District. The facts show up on the BethelBlog and as a tagline on my email signature. To see the archive, click on the Bethel Facts Category to the right. If you have a Bethel Fact to share, please email me at: cgill@bethel.k12.or.us.

Today I got to be a grand parent! Well, at least an older friend to some great kids at Irving! Alexia and Cypress welcomed me to their classrooms and shared with me what they love about Irving. I had to agree with everything they had to say!

Cypress, as you can see in the picture, was not very fond of the pepper-jack cheese cubes! But, with more pineapple a quick recovery was made.

Thanks to the Irving staff and the wonderful first grade teachers: Mrs. Chesser, Mrs. Radke, and Mrs. Loftin for a wonderful time.

Happy Thanksgiving all.

PS-- I sent ...

Have a question? Have an idea? Please come and tell me about it. I have planned a series of Round Table Meetings (one at each school during the month of December).

I try hard to get you the information you need. I constantly update this blog with information (the latest post on the December Economic Forecast is an example). And, I gave each staff an update in person in September and October. I have also shared the same message with most PTO's.

This Round Table Session is just one more very informal opportunity. I'll set myself down in your school's ...

The Bethel Superintendent Tweets! Check it out at this Twitter Site.

Each week I try to share another interesting tidbit about Bethel School District. The facts show up on the BethelBlog and as a tagline on my email signature. To see the archive, click on the Bethel Facts Category to the right. If you have a Bethel Fact to share, please email me at: cgill@bethel.k12.or.us.

...I believe it offers a mixed bag of positive and negative information with no definite or immediate answers on school funding.

On the positive side...It is appears that the economy is flattening out in Oregon. Perhaps the State's economic freefall is coming to an end. A quote from the report says, "Even with the lack of timely indicators on the Oregon economy, it appears that the recession has ended or is very close to ending."

On the negative side...Revenue has continued to decline since the September Forecast (but at a slower rate). Oregon's ...

This weekend I got to hear from Oregon's 2009-10 Teacher of the Year, Donna DuBois. In her speech Donna talked about an experience in high school that turned her toward a career in teaching. The high school set up an opportunity for her to get experience in a preschool setting.

That high school was none other than Willamette High! Congratulations Willamette, on another fine graduate.

Donna is doing great things in her classroom. Find out about one of her wonderful projects here called "Light It Forward".

That is the rank Oregon earned when nonpartisan Pew Center on the States reviewed the state's current fiscal well-being. A "C+" puts Oregon right at the bottom of the pack, tied with Nevada as the fifth most financially troubled state.

The Center says the state has trouble paying for paying for education, human services, public safety and other state services. Oregon had a steeper state revenue decline than all but three states. One problem might be Oregon's reliance on the income tax. Oregon’s income tax, considered more volatile than sales and ...

We have teachers and students that wanted to push their learnign a little farther... These classrooms wanted to deepen their skills with reading comprehension, writing, math. Some even wanted to take on western exploration, weather, and seismology!

How did these teachers manage something more in the midst of a budget crunch like we have never seen? The wrote and received a mini grant from SELCO Community Credit Union.

In September I shared the SELCO grant opportunity along with a few others right on this blog. Here is a quick reprint of other organizations ...

That is right! The City has a new program called the Neighborhood Stabilization Program designed to assist homeowners...You do not have to be a first time buyer to take advantage of this program.

Funds can be used towards down payment, principle writedown, closing costs, and repairs! Click here for a flyer!

Bethel has experienced a four year decline in behavior referrals at Bethel middle and K-8 schools.

Each week I try to share another interesting tidbit about Bethel School District. The facts show up on the BethelBlog and as a tagline on my email signature. To see the archive, click on the Bethel Facts Category to the right. If you have a Bethel Fact to share, please email me at: cgill@bethel.k12.or.us.

Yesterday community leaders took over our schools! It was our annual "Principal for a Day" event. This is a day where community members come into our schools and shadow our principals. They get to see some of the great things going on in our schools and some of the challenges we are facing.

It was wonderful to hear from this group of leaders. IT was good to hear the praise for the hard work our principals, teachers, EA's, secretaries, cooks, custodians, bus drivers, and others do every day. It is also great to hear perspectives on our work from fresh ...

Half of Bethel students make use of the Free & Reduced lunch program. If your family is struggling in this economy, get more information and an application at: http://www.bethelschools.us/dept/nutrition.

Each week I try to share another interesting tidbit about Bethel School District. The facts show up on the BethelBlog and as a tagline on my email signature. To see the archive, click on the Bethel Facts Category to the right. If you have a Bethel Fact to share, please email me at: cgill@bethel.k12.or.us.

Yesterday I had the opportunity to celebrate Red Ribbon Week with the kids at Irving. The assembly was fun and focused on the Red Ribbon Week Drug and Alcohol Free Pledge.

The kids at Irving will stay in the spirit all week by dressing up on each day!

I also got to visit and read to Mrs. Janelle Moss' 2nd grade class. They were a great audience. We read all about Piggie Pie! I heard that later they wrote their own Piggie Pie stories. Maybe next time I visit we can read their stories!

As you can see from the picture, they took a little time to dress ...

100% of Bethel teachers meet the federal standards for being Highly Qualified.

Each week I try to share another interesting tidbit about Bethel School District. The facts show up on the BethelBlog and as a tagline on my email signature. To see the archive, click on the Bethel Facts Category to the right. If you have a Bethel Fact to share, please email me at: cgill@bethel.k12.or.us.

That is right, Oregonians will be voting in January on two tax measures. The measures were initially bills passed by the Oregon legislature to fund public services in Oregon.

The tax measures are expected to create over $700 million in revenue to help offset the more than $4 billion shortfall faced by the State this biennium. The rest of the shortfall was covered by cutting about $2 billion in services, using about $1 billion in Federal stimulus money, and using about $250 million in State reserves.

About $300 million of this revenue package is designated ...

Bethel’s graduation rate is at its highest since 2002.

Each week I try to share another interesting tidbit about Bethel School District. The facts show up on the BethelBlog and as a tagline on my email signature. To see the archive, click on the Bethel Facts Category to the right. If you have a Bethel Fact to share, please email me at: cgill@bethel.k12.or.us.

Oregon has much to be proud of in education. We have high standards for our students, highly qualified teachers, and high levels of student achievement...But, there are problems looming that may threaten these successes.

In a state that already has one of the shortest school years, districts are being forced to cut school days due to declining revenue. This will have an impact on our kids learning.

Now, the Oregonian reports on a new study that shows our class sizes are some of the biggest in the nation. In fact, according to the study reported on ...

Bethel students outperformed the state average at nearly every grade level in the most recent state assessments.

Each week I try to share another interesting tidbit about Bethel School District. The facts show up on the BethelBlog and as a tagline on my email signature. To see the archive, click on the Bethel Facts Category to the right. If you have a Bethel Fact to share, please email me at: cgill@bethel.k12.or.us.

If you answered yes, you should know that graduation requirements are increasing.

The Oregon Diploma is gradually becoming more rigorous. Not only will your son or daughter need to earn more credits in specific subjects, they will also be required to demonstrate certain essential skills.

In order to earn a diploma, this year's sophomores will need to demonstrate proficiency in the essential skill of reading and comprehending a variety of text. Students can show their proficiency on this skill by meeting the standard on the state assessment test ...

In Oregon there are only 24 districts larger than Bethel in student enrollment and 172 that are smaller.

Each week I try to share another interesting tidbit about Bethel School District. The facts show up on the BethelBlog and as a tagline on my email signature. To see the archive, click on the Bethel Facts Category to the right. If you have a Bethel Fact to share, please email me at: cgill@bethel.k12.or.us.

I could not let the month end without thanking our teachers, administrators, supervisors, and confidential staff one more time for the tremendous gift they gave to our students on the first day of school. By working without pay on that day they, in effect, collectively donated $120,000 to Bethel School District. The dollar savings came at a time when we desperately need them, but the value of the gift extends far beyond the dollar value. This is an unprecedented gift to our district and community. So, thank you staff!

Your actions served our district, ...

Students in Willamette’s Wood Shop create and sell their own products to help purchase new tools and materials.

Each week I try to share another interesting tidbit about Bethel School District. The facts show up on the BethelBlog and as a tagline on my email signature. To see the archive, click on the Bethel Facts Category to the right. If you have a Bethel Fact to share, please email me at: cgill@bethel.k12.or.us.

Times are tough in schools across the country right now. This article in today's Seattle Times illustrates the budget issues well. I'll be focusing on our budget concerns in Oregon and Bethel over the next few weeks with school visits focused on school finance. I'll also be bringing together a long-term budget planning committee tasked with helping us prioritize our budget needs for the future. Finally, I will be speaking at a community event sponsored by Stand For Children on October 19. More news on all this later...

In the meantime, here are some ...

The 2009 Mr. Wolverine Pageant raised more than $30,000 for the Children’s Miracle Network. 10% of the money will go to Willamette’s Health Room or the WHS Teen Parent program.

Each week I try to share another interesting tidbit about Bethel School District. The facts show up on the BethelBlog and as a tagline on my email signature. To see the archive, click on the Bethel Facts Category to the right. If you have a Bethel Fact to share, please email me at: cgill@bethel.k12.or.us.

The Bethel Family Resource Center is located in Malabon Elementary and offers parenting classes, family craft projects, materials for supporting academics at home, and a weekly preschool story time. Give them a call at 461-6424.

Each week I try to share another interesting tidbit about Bethel School District. The facts show up on the BethelBlog and as a tagline on my email signature. To see the archive, click on the Bethel Facts Category to the right. If you have a Bethel Fact to share, please email me at: cgill@bethel.k12.or.us.

Thank You.

Thanks for giving this day to our students and our community. I hope that today you had the opportunity to make great connections with students and their families. I hope you were able to turn anxious wide-eyed stares to comfortable smiles. I hope you were able to inspire students to participate fully in a year of learning.

I know today is not the only time you voluteered your skills and expertise. I was around this weekend. I know many of you were working without compensation...preparing your classrooms, your activities, and your lessons.

Last year Ariel Jenkins and Jessica Glennon won state championships individually and as a team and represented Willamette at the National DECA competition in Anaheim this summer.

Each week I try to share another interesting tidbit about Bethel School District. The facts show up on the BethelBlog and as a tagline on my email signature. To see the archive, click on the Bethel Facts Category to the right. If you have a Bethel Fact to share, please email me at: cgill@bethel.k12.or.us.

Yesterday I had a wonderful time at our opening event with staff. It was great to see everyone there and hear a few summer stories.

The highlights for me were:

• Our wonderful Bethel Band who pulled together a great show in just one rehearsal! Many thanks to Teresa Cunningham, Peter Bauer, Brandelyn Fowkes, Kee Zublin, Kelly Leguizamon, and Jon Lee.
• Also, our wonderful student speakers, Shelby Davis-Cooper and Alan Jimenez. These two had their futures shaped by our teachers. And it is clear they did a wonderful job. These two are superstars.

I have ...

A new organization was born yesterday! One that will serve our community and students well into the future! Yesterday, the Bethel Education Foundation was formed.

It was formed by incredibly caring and civic-minded parents. An initial Board was selected, officers were appointed, a name was selected, initial plans were drawn-up, and steps were taken to register the new foundation.

Look here for more information in the future. But, for now here is some basic information:

• They will focus on direct giving donations.
• Parents, businesses, and community ...

I just sent an email to the staff at Danebo. I thought I might share a few pieces of it here...

I told them, "Federal regulations are often challenging to work with… the timing of the AYP release is one of those challenges. Unfortunately it is released when you are all away from Danebo, hopefully having some fun in the sun. If this news was released during the school year I  would have asked Mari for some time to come and discuss this with you directly."

The news I'm referring to is the fact that Danebo did not make AYP "Adequate Yearly Progress" ...

I saw…

• Secretaries busy and welcoming in the entry way;
• Kids fully engaged and on-task with math and reading skills practice in every classroom I wandered or peeked into (about 20 rooms);
• A team of specilaists putting tremendous effort into the summer school effectiveness study for the UO (likely many others have helped as well);
• Our reading coordinator, Rhonda Wolter, explain how we will be able to use the protocols from this study to improve instruction throughout the year;
• Custodians cleaning and waxing floors in unused rooms;
• Kids singing ...

Yesterday I stopped by the Petersen Barn. While there I picked up some blueberries, beets, carrots, micro-cabbage, and cherry plums. How, you might ask? Well, these delectables were all available at the grand opening of the Bethel Farmer's Market.

I arrived during its second hour of operation. By that time they had already restocked their produce tables twice! There is no doubt that the venture was a success. The next Market at Petersen Barn is already scheduled for August 12th. However, I talked with one farmer who was hoping to find a way to return ...

The Register Guard did a good job with complicated information in their article this morning on teacher lay-offs. The fact is that we did have far fewer lay-offs than were possible. This was because we made deep cuts in other areas and because our entire staff made significant concessions in reduced pay and benefits.

The article is accurate in that we have two permanent teachers who were laid-off. But, the impact is deeper than that. The loss of hours to some positions and loss of teachers in temporary positions means we will have fewer teachers ...

The Board approved a revised version of the calendar for the 2009-10 school year. The new calendar is available to staff today and will be incorporated into the wall calendar that is regularly provided to all families each fall.

The revised calendar only has two changes between September and March:

• The first day of school is being donated by teachers, administrators, supervisors, and confidential staff. They will be working without compensation on that day.
• December 18th will now be a no-school day due to budget reductions.

After spring break as ...

Each year Bethel provides 4,500 district wall calendars to families in English and Spanish.

Each week I try to share another interesting tidbit about Bethel School District. The facts show up on the BethelBlog and as a tagline on my email signature. To see the archive, click on the Bethel Facts Category to the right. If you have a Bethel Fact to share, please email me at: cgill@bethel.k12.or.us.

Every couple of months I have the opportunity to meet with a group of parent leaders from each building. Last night we met to discuss the budget and its impact on our schools. As I shared the concessions our staff has made to support education in our community, the parent leaders were genuinely touched.

Their response was to ask how they could step-up and support the schools even more than they already do. After much discussion a group of parents decided to work on a planning meeting to explore starting a Bethel Education Foundation. The goal would ...

The Willamette Swim Team was awarded the Sportsmanship Trophy at the district swim meet.

Each week I try to share another interesting tidbit about Bethel School District. The facts show up on the BethelBlog and as a tagline on my email signature. To see the archive, click on the Bethel Facts Category to the right. If you have a Bethel Fact to share, please email me at: cgill@bethel.k12.or.us.

This is a disheartening budget to present. While I believe the planning, input, cooperation, and careful consideration that has gone into its development is beyond compare, I regret that it is a budget which will not entirely meet the needs of our students in 2009-2010. The simple fact is that there will not be revenue resources available to maintain current service levels. When people hear news like this it is common to want to assign blame…to say the District should have done better, or the legislature should have found a way. In this case, I ...

Today the Register-Guard featured an article that probably points out what our community already knows. Bethel teachers, classified employees, administrators...its entire staff...are generous beyond compare. You can read the article online here.

I hope the other thing the article illustrates is that the education system in our state is in serious disrepair. Withe the amount of school our children will potentially miss next year and what this staff is doing in terms of compensation sacrifice and  is a serious problem.

We all realize the money isn't there.

This year the Willamette Chess Team has won its first-ever 5A State Championship, with Emily Tousseau named Most Valuable Player.

Each week I try to share another interesting tidbit about Bethel School District. The facts show up on the BethelBlog and as a tagline on my email signature. To see the archive, click on the Bethel Facts Category to the right. If you have a Bethel Fact to share, please email me at: cgill@bethel.k12.or.us.

I was emotionally touched yesterday by the actions of our teachers. I’m so proud to work for a group of people who are willing to put so much on the table to support our community’s kids. You can read about the concessions our teachers made on the front page of the website (center column).

I just want to say a word about the character of a group of people that unanimously make a decision like that. This is a staff that is facing sharp cuts even with the sacrifices they have taken on. This is a group that knows the meaning of community. They are ...

Today the Ways & Means Committee Co-Chairs released a budget that provides $6.0 billion to education in the 2009-11 biennium. This is more than expected, but still more than $½ billion short of the “essential budget level” (what it would take to avoid cuts).

A serious concern about the $6.0 billion number is that it relies on about $800 million in new revenue primarily through increased taxes to corporations and individuals who make over $250,000 a year. If this tax hike passes the legislature it could be referred to the voters and repealed ...

Since I updated you on the State Economic Forecast Friday evening, the Oregonian came out with numbers matching the ones I shared. The Register-Guard came out with slightly higher numbers. And now, after legislators shared their views at local town hall meetings this weekend, most papers are sharing a new number for the statewide deficit: $4.2 billion.

It is important to understand that even though they sound different, everyone is talking about the same problem at the same level. Here is how the numbers add up.

• In March we learned that the shortfall ...

Today's release of the last Economic Forecast of the legislative session brought mixed news. The 2009-11 shortfall continued to grow, but not as high as the Ways & Means Committee had been speculating. The shortfall grew by another $524 million to a total of $3.6 billion for next biennium. That is about $800 million less than the Ways & Means Committee had speculated.

Unfortunately, the deficit grew more than expected for the current biennium. The legislature must find a way to deal with an additional $256 million shortfall between now and June 30.

All Bethel 8th graders study electric and solar-powered powered miniature vehicles as they prepare to take part in the annual Solar Challenge race in June.

Each week I try to share another interesting tidbit about Bethel School District. The facts show up on the BethelBlog and as a tagline on my email signature. To see the archive, click on the Bethel Facts Category to the right. If you have a Bethel Fact to share, please email me at: cgill@bethel.k12.or.us.

The 4th annual ACE Awards was held May 5th, Bethel’s Champions were Teacher: Donna DeForest, Classified Employee: Jennifer Reiss, Volunteer: Donna Sandgathe, and Administrator: Glen Martz. Way to go ACE winners!

Each week I try to share another interesting tidbit about Bethel School District. The facts show up on the BethelBlog and as a tagline on my email signature. To see the archive, click on the Bethel Facts Category to the right. If you have a Bethel Fact to share, please email me at: cgill@bethel.k12.or.us.

Bethel is full of champion educators that perform amazing feats withour kids day-in and day-out. Pat described our ACE Winners in his article to the right. I thought you might want to see who the ACE Finalists were:

Volunteers:

• Haven Sundstrom, Shasta: Haven is a dedicated volunteer. While balancing the everyday responsibilities of family and running her own business, she continues to be a team worker and strong supporter of our school.
• Jennifer Marquez, Shasta: Mrs. Marquez has been a reliable volunteer and a strong supporter of our school. She ...

That, "thank you", does not come close to saying it all. And it certainly should come more than once a year. However, it is nice to know that, at least yearly, there is a day set aside in our country to thank those that serve our Nation's youth.

May 5th is National Teacher Appreciation Day. The entire week is celebrated in Oregon to offer some recognition for those that counsel, nurse, praise, support, befriend, provide for, encourage, empathize, sympathize, and, yes, teach our children.

Thank you Bethel Teachers! No one does more!

The 4th annual ACE Awards is May 5th (National Teacher Appreciation Day), Bethel’s top Teachers, Classified, Volunteers and Administrators will be honored at this wonderful event held at the Hult Center.

Each week I try to share another interesting tidbit about Bethel School District. The facts show up on the BethelBlog and as a tagline on my email signature. To see the archive, click on the Bethel Facts Category to the right. If you have a Bethel Fact to share, please email me at: cgill@bethel.k12.or.us.

We are sure many of you are following the state’s budget woes carefully. Yesterday’s article in the Register-Guard painted a clear picture of the planning challenges and real human costs the budget crisis places on the kids and families we serve as well as our own staff. It has been our goal throughout this process to regularly share verifiable information and receive input.

The state’s current budget situation will force us to make decisions that will impact our students, their families, and all our employees. Throughout the process we will ...

A very generous donor has purchased a new state of the art scoreboard for Wolverine Stadium. It will be installed this summer.

Each week I try to share another interesting tidbit about Bethel School District. The facts show up on the BethelBlog and as a tagline on my email signature. To see the archive, click on the Bethel Facts Category to the right. If you have a Bethel Fact to share, please email me at: cgill@bethel.k12.or.us.

Blues musician Curtis Salgado, who inspired John Belushi and Dan Akroyd to form the Blues Brothers, is a 1971 graduate of Willamette High.

Each week I try to share another interesting tidbit about Bethel School District. The facts show up on the BethelBlog and as a tagline on my email signature. To see the archive, click on the Bethel Facts Category to the right. If you have a Bethel Fact to share, please email me at: cgill@bethel.k12.or.us.

This Blog has been mired in budget updates and woes for weeks now. I'd like to take a break and get back to one of its original purposes, a place for me to share information about some of the wonderful things going on for our kids in Bethel!

Last night I was invited to attend the first annual Cascade Middle School National Junior Honor Society Tapping Ceremony. It was a wonderful event, celebrating the character, scholarship, leadership, service, and citizenship of some of Cascade's highest performers.

I loved seeing the celebration shared with family and friends.

This has proven to be a highly unusual and challenging budget season. It calls for us all to be very flexible as we plan for pretty significant reductions. Our Budgt Committee is showing their flexibility by rescheduling our Budget Committee Meetings. I visited with the Board on Monday night and we determined that it would be best to delay our budget process later into May.

The budget we will end up approving will include significant cuts. I’d like the document we provide to the Budget Committee to be well thought-out and inclusive of all the ...

I received this from Senator Vicki Walker. This is an invitation to all to come share your thoughts regarding the State's revenue and budgeting situation for 2009-11. You'll be able to present directly to members of the Joint Ways & Means Committee. Here is the information:

JOINT COMMITTEE ON WAYS AND MEANS ROAD SHOW!
The Full Ways and Means Committee will be taking our “show on the road” at the end of April.  This will give Oregonians a chance to testify on issues that directly affect them, while avoiding the long, and sometimes costly, trip to Salem.

Earlier this week I shared that we would be facing reductions for next school year. But the range of possibilities was wide, somewhere between $6-16 million. This is significantly more than the $1.1 million reduction we were able to endure this school year.  This week we received more news that will help us begin to focus in on an upsetting, but realistic reduction level.

Today I had the opportunity to be one of three Oregon superintendents asked to share information with some of our legislative leaders in Salem. They wanted to know how different ...

All of Bethel’s 6th grade science classes use EWEB’s Exploring Planet Water curriculum to study various sections of Amazon Creek.

Each week I try to share another interesting tidbit about Bethel School District. The facts show up on the BethelBlog and as a tagline on my email signature. To see the archive, click on the Bethel Facts Category to the right. If you have a Bethel Fact to share, please email me at: cgill@bethel.k12.or.us.

This is a question that has come up several times this week. The idea, of course, is to save a bit more money to reduce the impact of budget reductions we will face next year.

The answer is no. We cannot cut days this year, solely for the purpose of saving money to stave off cuts next year.

There is an impression that Springfield Public Schools (SPS) made their 4-day reduction this school year to do just that, save money for the 2009-10 school year. That is not the case. SPS needed to cut school days to help balance the shortfall for the current school year.

As we continue to move into uncertain times in terms of school funding a number of programs will be impacted. One of the programs to be impacted first in Bethel will be summer school.

This year elementary summer school programs will be scaled back to the size they were two years ago. This is because the district will not be using any state school fund or school improvement fund dollars to support the programs. The elementary summer school programs will be funded with Federal dollars. Because of this funding shortage the program will serve fewer students this year.

Mickey Loomis, Willamette class of 1974, is executive vice president and general manager of the NFL’s New Orleans Saints.

Each week I try to share another interesting tidbit about Bethel School District. The facts show up on the BethelBlog and as a tagline on my email signature. To see the archive, click on the Bethel Facts Category to the right. If you have a Bethel Fact to share, please email me at: cgill@bethel.k12.or.us.

Friday, the Legislature's Ways & Means Committee released an announcement asking all state agencies to prepare budgets for next year based on a possible 30% across the board reduction. This is not what the Committee has settled on, this is a way to get information on the depth of the cuts in that scenario and to prepare state agencies for the possibility of large cuts.

This 30% reduction would mean operating K-12 schools on about $4.5 billion in revenue. At a statewide superintendent meeting on Friday I learned that the Governor's Office is recommending ...

The Oregon Legislature's Joint Ways & Means Committee has not released a draft budget yet. Momentarily, I'll be on the road to Salem in search of information for us to build our budget for the coming year.

I'll be at a State Superintendent Meeting. We will hear from representatives from the legislative, executive, and fiscal offices of the Oregon Government. The goal is to gather enough information so that school districts can predict revenue for the coming year and begin to make real steps on budget planning.

I hope that by Monday we can share ...

I received notice today that the State Board of Education considered flexibility in the implementation timeline of the Essential Skills portion of the new diploma requirements at their March meeting. A formal vote is not scheduled until the June meeting.

This is something we have been pushing for as our state's education system faces a financial crisis. We want high standards for our kids, but we want to implement in an environment where we can help our students achieve new and more rigorous standards. We believe it is wrong to raise the bar as we ...

Willamette High School has had only five principals in its 60 year history. Current principal Jim Jamieson is the longest tenured, now in his 22nd year at WHS.

Each week I try to share another interesting tidbit about Bethel School District. The facts show up on the BethelBlog and as a tagline on my email signature. To see the archive, click on the Bethel Facts Category to the right. If you have a Bethel Fact to share, please email me at: cgill@bethel.k12.or.us.

Many of the local churches provide service to our community. Some seek special projects with the district or particular schools. None of them seek credit or even recognition. Their generosity is quietly delivered, but not unnoticed.

One church really stands out. Bethesda Lutheran Church on Royal has partnered with the district for several years. They have ongoing projects like the Bethel Clothes Closet. And they also sponsor the yearly Service for the Sabbath event. On this particular weekend the parishioners trade going to service for providing ...

Bethel Employees are BIG supporters of the United Way. In fact, this year Bethel Employees increased their donation levels by 35%!

These funds go towards programs that help our community's children. Programs that reduce child abuse, increase medical access, prepare kids for school, and more.

Check out the attached announcements from the Register Guard that highlight the contributions of our staff. Thanks for all you do to support our community!

United Way Announcement

For the next few days I am going to highlight the generosity of our community. The Bethel community always steps-up when needed. The current state of the economy has only served to strengthen that commitment.

Proof comes in the overwhelming work put in by high school students and staff raising funds for the Mr. Wolverine-Children's Miracle Network Event. The team made a goal this year to raise $26,000. To date they have already raised over $30,000! What incredible work by this group of students and staff. And, what incredible generosity from our community.

It appears we may get some hints regarding our state revenue for 2009-11 before the State's May Economic Forecast. It has been reported that the Co-Chairs of the Legislature's Joint Ways & Means Committee will release a draft budget for the next biennium on April 1.

This may go a long way toward letting us all know the approach the Ways & Means Committee will take on the budget for the coming year. How will services/programs be treated in terms of proportionate/disproportionate reductions? Will they dip into the Rainy Day fund? The Education ...

Prairie Mountain School is named for a summit in the Coast Range that is visible from the school’s front door.

Each week I try to share another interesting tidbit about Bethel School District. The facts show up on the BethelBlog and as a tagline on my email signature. To see the archive, click on the Bethel Facts Category to the right. If you have a Bethel Fact to share, please email me at: cgill@bethel.k12.or.us.

This is news many have been anticipating...We will not be cutting school days to deal with the most recent budget shortfall, revealed in the March Economic Forecast. The district will instead spend a portion of its ending fund balance, a reserve fund that would normally carryover into the next year's funding.

We understand that cutting school days has a negative impact on student learning and well-being. We also know cutting days can be inconvenient and expensive for families. Finally, furloughing school staff can have a negative impact on our community's economy.

The Willamette Girl's State Championship win on Saturday night was a great finish to a stellar winter season at WHS. The Wolverine's actually brought home two trophies from the state tournament. One for winning the championship and one for best sportsmanship. The sportsmanship award is based on the behavior of the team, coaches, and fans over the length of the tournament.That says a lot about our supportive and caring community!

The students and staff at Willamette also deserve credit this season for State swimming victories, the 5A State Chess Championship, ...

Bethel School District employs a Mental Health Specialist to provide crisis intervention and support for many students in need.

Each week I try to share another interesting tidbit about Bethel School District. The facts show up on the BethelBlog and as a tagline on my email signature. To see the archive, click on the Bethel Facts Category to the right. If you have a Bethel Fact to share, please email me at: cgill@bethel.k12.or.us.

We don't have official updates yet. But, the plan presented previously here on the blog and in person several times over the past two weeks is making its way through the legislative process. It appears that Bethel will face additional reductions of approximately $500,000 this school year.

When the final decision is made and the state sends actual dollar amounts to each district I will let you know what the exact amount is and how we will attempt to cope with the shortfall.

In the meantime here is a short news video on our situation. We appreciate ...

Community School Finance Update 03-3-09

I spent the last two evenings sharing school finance information with our parents and community. It has always been clear to me that our community cares deeply about its schools. And the concern and questions shared by families the last two evenings confirmed that.

However, one question at last night's discussion really topped it for me. A parent asked a question that would bring many of our teachers to tears. When I called on the mom who was raising her hand, the question she had was simple but powerful, "I ...

Answer to yesterday's question (5):

False. Back in the 1990-91 school year, school districts received about $4,125 per student. Today, in 1990 inflation adjusted dollars, school districts receive about $3,376 per student.

Source: Oregon Department of Education

Answer to Friday's question (4):

True. State tests of students at the benchmark grades of 3, 5, 8, & 10 show continued improvment in reading and math scores.

Question 5: True or False?

Oregon schools receive more funding per pupil today than they did in 1990.

According to the OSAA, Willamette High School is the sixth largest 5A school in Oregon.

Each week I try to share another interesting tidbit about Bethel School District. The facts show up on the BethelBlog and as a tagline on my email signature. To see the archive, click on the Bethel Facts Category to the right. If you have a Bethel Fact to share, please email me at: cgill@bethel.k12.or.us.

This week I invited staff to a series of meetings so that they could receive an update of the State's school finance situation. I wanted to thank the more than 300 of you that attended.

I'm happy that you came out to learn more and I appreciate your questions and thoughts. I again want to invite you to feel free to email me with your thoughts or further questions. You can reach me at cgill@bethel.k12.or.us.

If you did not get to attend there are a couple of ways you can still get updated: (1) Review the attached document and talk to a colleague that ...

Answer to yesterday's question (3):

All of the above. The economic impact of not completing high school is costly, especially in terms of the personal loss to each individual.

Question (4): True or False?

Academic achievement has increased for Oregon students over the past 10 years...even while school funding has decreased.

Answer to yesterday's question (2):

The answer is (D). If combined, Oregon's Schools would be the state's largest employer, with about 56,000 employees. Schools have a tremendous economic impact on every Oregon Community.

Question (3): Which of these statements best describes the plight of high school dropouts?

(A) They make up to 79% of the adult prison population.

(B) They earn about 30% less in wages.

(C) They are twice as likely to be unemployed.

(D) They are four times more likely to need the Oregon Health Plan.

On the front page of the paper this morning there is a story about the legislature taking action to reduce the funding shortfall to schools. This latest approach would move Bethel’s loss of revenue between now and June 30 from about $1,000,000 (in the previous plan released by the co-chairs of the Ways & Means Committee last Wednesday) to about $500,000.

Reducing the shortfall is good news. The approach is very different. To receive the “extra” funding to reduce the loss of revenue districts are required to complete an application. On ...

Answer to yesterday's question (1):

All of the above. Our state is currently faced with a recession, with comparatively low taxation levels and few cash reserves.

Question 2: Who is Oregon's largest employer?

(A) Nike

(B) Intel

(C) Safeway Stores

(D) Public Schools

Check here tomorrow for the answer to this question.

For the next several days I am going to present a School Funding Pop Quiz. Each day I will present one question, I will provide the answer for the question the following day. All questions were developed and researched by the Oregon School Boards Association.

Why is there a state budget shortfall anyway?

(a) After voters approved the property tax limitation ballot measures in the early 1990's, responsibility for school funding shifted from local property taxes to the state's general fund. No new revenue source was identified to fund schools.

(b) ...

The Willamette High School Girls Basketball Team just finished their regular season with a perfect record! Support them at their first state playoff game on February 28th.

Each week I try to share another interesting tidbit about Bethel School District. The facts show up on the BethelBlog and as a tagline on my email signature. To see the archive, click on the Bethel Facts Category to the right. If you have a Bethel Fact to share, please email me at: cgill@bethel.k12.or.us.

(Originally posted 2/18/2009 by Colt Gill)
Over the past few days we have received more information regarding the Federal Economics Stimulus Package. This coming Friday (Feb. 20th) the Official Oregon March Economic Forecast will be released and we will hear up-to-date information on the revenue shortfall facing our state.
To help make sense of some of this information and explain what it may mean to Bethel, I have scheduled a series of meetings. I encourage staff to attend one of the following meetings:

Tuesday: February 24 @ 3:45pm Studio West @ ...

(Posted February 11th, 2009 by Colt Gill)
If schools were to be closed through some statewide action/mandate or if the district were forced to close its schools due to an extreme budget reduction employees would not be paid for days that were not worked.
This is not a proposal that I like to entertain. Our children need us to be open so that we can help to maintain stability in their lives and continue their education. Our community counts on us to provide education to our students and provide a safe place for their children to be during the day. Closing ...

(Originally posted February 11th, 2009 by Colt Gill)
I am receiving more and more questions regarding school finance issues. As I attempt to answer or comment on questions that are relevant to all, I will share the question and answer on the blog under the title: “School Finance Q & A”. If you have questions/comments feel free to send them to me at cgill@bethel.k12.or.us.

(Originally posted February 11th, 2009 by Colt Gill)
Categories: Bethel Happenings
Both the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate have passed versions of a Federal Economic Stimulus Package. These federal funds will be spread widely and impact sectors across the nation. One of those institutions impacted may be public schools.
The House version of the plan included funds for “shovel ready” construction projects at schools. These are things like roofing, siding, carpet, technology, phone systems etc. Ideally, projects that can be started ...

(Originally posted February 3rd, 2009 by Colt Gill)
Today’s Register Guard includes a front page article that explains the severe cuts service our state may face due to the continuing economic crisis. The article talks about cuts to state police and social services. It also talks about education cuts that would cause districts across the state to close their doors early this spring.
What the artilce does not include much about, is the possible use of other funds to help fill the gap. The Education Stability Fund currently has about $390 million dollars ...

(Originally posted January 26th, 2009 by Colt Gill)
Later this week I will be attending meetings with other school district leaders from across Oregon. These meetings include the Confederation of Oregon School Administrators Funding Coalition Meeting and the Oregon Association of School Executives Board Meeting. At these meetings I will learn more about the State’s funding situation and how districts across the state are dealing with it. I will also have the opportunity to influence the process as we make plans to present key information to our legislators.

(Originally posted January 22nd, 2009 by Colt Gill)
I shared with staffs in December that this budget session would be like a roller coaster ride as we receive information at different times, some of it negative for our balance sheets and some positive. The key will be finding that smooth zone where we can rest, take a breath, and then determine the best course of action for moving forward. We are not there yet.
This week information has been flowing full speed from a variety of sources… On the positive side there is much talk of an Obama Economic ...

(Originally posted January 13th, 2009 by Colt Gill)
In December I visited each school and department to share news about state revenue shortfalls that would impact the district. At that time I shared that the Governor called for a 1.2% across the board cut to all state budgets, including ours for the current school year. I relayed to each of you that we would attempt to overcome this deficit without making cuts to personnel or the school year in 2008-09.
Business Manager Ellen Mooney and I have been working on this issue since I visited with you all.

(Originally posted January 9th, 2009 by Colt Gill)

Over the last couple of months I have had a budget preparation survey available to our community. It is now time to share the results. We had nearly 400 respondents. These included staff, community members, concerned citizens and more. 29 participants identified themselves as Bethel students and 104 as Bethel Parents. I was very pleased with the participation level.
Some highlights:
* More than 80% said schools in Oregon are underfunded and that Bethel does not have enough funds to meet the needs of ...

Today’s Register Guard includes a front page article that explains the severe cuts service our state may face due to the continuing economic crisis. The article talks about cuts to state police and social services. It also talks about education cuts that would cause districts across the state to close their doors early this spring.