BSD Briefs
November 13, 2018
District Goal: WE empower all students to achieve post-high school success.
November 12-16, 2018 is National School Psychology Awareness Week. The theme is “Unlock Potential. Find Your Password!” A password is a personal key for unlocking any number of areas of potential in our lives. The goal is to connect with how modern youth and adults unlock things (e.g., gaming levels, phones, devices, codes) and to highlight how thinking about specific skills, assets, or characteristics as "passwords" can lead to positive growth.
School psychologists are particularly skilled at assisting students and staff in unlocking the resources, proactive and preventive skills, and positive connections necessary to unlock one's full potential to thrive in school and life.
In the Beaverton School District, there are 24 full-time and 16 part-time school psychologists who support the growth and development of our students. They combine their expertise in mental health, learning and behavior to help children succeed academically, socially, behaviorally and emotionally. Our school psychologists collaborate with families, teachers, school administrators and other professionals to create safe, healthy and supportive learning environments.
Budget Listening & Learning Session
Tuesday, November 13, 2018
6:30 p.m.
Highland Park Middle School, Library
7000 SW Wilson Ave., Beaverton
Schools Closed
Wednesday, November 21, 2018
Schools & District Offices Closed in Observance of Thanksgiving Holiday
Thursday and Friday, November 22-23, 2018
Have a safe and restful holiday!
School Board Business Meeting
Monday, November 26, 2018
6:30 p.m.
Administration Office
16550 SW Merlo Rd.
Beaverton, 97003
Budget Committee Zone 2 Vacancy
The Beaverton School District has one vacancy on the Budget Committee and seeks a diverse candidate pool. The position is in School Board Zone 2 (School Board member Anne Bryan), and will fulfill the remaining two years of the three-year term.
Individuals interested in serving on the Budget Committee need to live in the zone they wish to represent. Zone maps are available on the District website.
Candidates must also meet the following qualifications: be a qualified voter of the District, have lived in the District for one year and cannot be a Beaverton School District employee.
The Budget Committee reviews the District’s budget and recommends needed changes. The Committee conducts business in evening public meetings held between November and June. The Budget Committee also approves the Budget Document and forwards it to the School Board for adoption by the end of June.
Budget Committee members will be appointed by the School Board.
Those who wish to apply should send a letter of interest and/or resume by Friday, November 30, 2018 to:
Beaverton School District
Communications & Community Involvement Department
16550 S.W. Merlo Road
Beaverton, OR 97003
Or email to: community_involvement@beaverton.k12.or.us
For more information, please contact the Communications & Community Involvement Department at 503-356-4360.
Beaverton School District Budget Scenario 2019-20
Statewide - Although Oregon is experiencing a strong economy and stable job market, the state budget is facing tremendous pressure from the PERS obligation. Currently, there is no revenue reform to help cover these rising costs and the projected kicker would reduce the ending fund balance of the current biennium.
Timeline: The Governor’s budget will be released by December 1st. The Co-Chairs Budget is usually released by late February and Legislature meets February through June. Final State budget is due by June 30th. Beaverton will start the staffing process in late February. Adopt budget by June 30.
There are also many unknown factors that will impact the budget for 2019-20:
- State Funding Level
- Increases to utilities
- Construction market conditions driving up maintenance and repair costs
- Costs for contractual obligations for staff
- Health insurance increases
- Costs that we can estimate currently include:
- PERS increase
- Length of school year
- Current service level including step costs
Local Background
Enrollment: Beaverton School District has had relatively flat enrollment for the past few years. However, our enrollment is steadily growing on the borders of our district and declining in the center of the district. Our student demographics are also changing. Our students in poverty are decreasing as housing costs increase. We are also seeing a decrease in our English Language Learners. These changes have a negative impact on our State School Fund (SSF) allocation.
Student Achievement: In 2018, greater percentages of Beaverton students meet or exceed state standards on the Smarter Balanced and Oregon Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (OAKS) than their peers statewide in all subjects tested at all grades. We are also seeing improvement in our subgroup data. BSD graduation rates continue to be higher than the state average and the gap between BSD and the state is increasing.
Current Service Level: Beaverton has added nine instructional days to the school calendar during the last three years. Five of these days were additional days to the licensed contract. This is in alignment with School Board and Governor’s priorities. Our salaries and benefits have kept pace with the economic demand of the area.
Instructional Investments:
- Student Success Coaches at all elementary schools to address increased social and emotional needs of our students.
- CTE and High School Success - in response to Measure 98, Beaverton has increased Career and Technical Education opportunities at our high schools. We have also invested in graduation mentors to increase graduation rates and attendance.
- Early Learning - Beaverton has invested in ten pre-kindergarten classes at five elementary schools.
- AVID - (Advancement Via Individual Determination) All secondary schools have AVID tutorial classes and schoolwide AVID strategies have been implemented.
- Future Ready - Full secondary 1:1 device implementation and increased elementary technology strategies and devices. The Future Ready initiative necessitated technology infrastructure upgrades and modernization funded primarily through the bond.
- Social Workers and Counselors have been increased to support increased student needs.
- Professional Development - New curriculum adoptions have been supported with professional development for all teachers. Early release implementation has increased collaboration and professional development across the district.
Operation & Support Services Investments:
- Custodial staffing has increased commensurate with the addition of square footage in new facilities, maintaining staffing at the minimal 2012-13 funding level per square foot.
- Increased maintenance staffing resulted in an immediate improvement in client satisfaction. These increases have slowed but not reversed the growth rate of deferred maintenance.
- Operational costs have increased in response to additional buildings and square footage, upgrades to heating and cooling units, increased instructional days, unfunded mandates, community use of schools, and security and seismic updates. Operational budget increases have not accompanied these additions.
We will continue to communicate with the community throughout the budget and 2019 legislative process.
School closure or delayed start decisions will typically be communicated to media outlets and posted on the District website, Facebook and Twitter by 5:30 a.m.
We encourage families to make transportation and attendance decisions for their child(ren) based on their own assessment of travel conditions at their location.
When all district schools and facilities are closed
- All daytime and evening activities/events on closure days are cancelled.
When there is a 2-hour delay in opening school
- All schools will open two hours later than regularly scheduled.
- The following classes are cancelled: AM early intervention, AM Preschool Classes, AM Health Careers, Auto Program & Terra Nova Program
- Buses are on snow routes
- There will be no bus service for Bonny Slope, Nancy Ryles and Sato elementary schools.
- Bus services will not be provided to McKinney-Vento students living outside of the district.
When school is on time and buses are on snow routes
- All schools operate on regular daily schedules.
- There will be no bus service for Bonny Slope, Nancy Ryles and Sato elementary schools
- Terra Nova Program is cancelled all day.
- If the weather forecast calls for declining weather conditions throughout the day, the district will implement snow routes for PM dismissal.
When weather conditions necessitate an early closure of schools
- We encourage you to refer to the BSD website, School Messenger and local media for more detailed information.
- All daytime and evening activities/events are cancelled.
Wednesday – Early Dismissal School Days
- The District will not have a 2-hour delay on Wednesday. The District will maintain a regular Wednesday schedule with Early Release or close schools for the day
Staff Spotlight: Lisa Brennan - College & Career Specialist at Aloha High School
You may not know who Lisa Brennan is, but if you’ve stepped foot in Aloha High School, you’ve seen her work. She is a College & Career Specialist at Aloha, but she’s also responsible for many of the bulletin boards and other vinyl decals that decorate the halls.
She stands next to a 7-foot-tall warrior cutout in the hall near the commons area. The cutout is based on Hawaii’s King Kamehameha the Great. “It’s one I’m probably most proud of,” says Lisa. “It took a long time to create and piece together.” He is surrounded by banners listing the names and future plans of Aloha’s 2018 graduates. The cutout and banners are a visual representation of Lisa’s work as a college and career specialist.
Originally hired to manage a grant in a temporary position, Lisa’s role eventually evolved into what it is today. She clearly loves her role helping Aloha students map out their future. “It’s exciting when students achieve their goal and they get accepted into a school, or they get a great financial aid package and they tell us how much we’ve helped them,” says Lisa. College application week is one of her favorite events of the year. “It’s a week that we just totally devote to helping them through college applications. It’s just a really exciting week because all of these kids apply and get instant admissions. It’s super fun!”
Lisa says the position is challenging, in that it always seems like there are so many students to support and not enough time. “Learning the college process is a lot like learning a foreign language. If you haven’t heard the terminology and you don’t have anybody in your family that understands, you are starting from ground zero,” says Lisa.
Says AHS Principal Matt Casteel, “You can’t go anywhere in this school, spend more than a few minutes talking with Warrior students and staff, or attend one of the many activities designed to help our students succeed without seeing Lisa’s work, hearing about Lisa’s impact or experiencing something Lisa helped to plan. She’s simply at the center of so much of what makes this place special.”
Beaverton School District
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Email: community_involvement@beaverton.k12.or.us
Website: beaverton.k12.or.us
Location: 16550 SW Merlo Rd, Beaverton, OR, United States
Phone: (503)356-4360
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BeavertonSchoolDistrict/
Twitter: @beavertonsd