Staff Talk
A Newsletter for Beaverton School District Employees
April 2018 Issue
Local Option Levy Renewal Information
Local Option Levy #34-284 - May 15, 2018
On Monday, January 22, 2018, the Beaverton School Board unanimously adopted a resolution to place a five-year Local Option Levy Renewal on the May 15, 2018 ballot. This is a vote-by-mail election.
If approved, Ballot Measure #34-284 would allow Beaverton schools to retain 300 teaching positions, maintain class sizes, and help ensure students are prepared for post-high school success. The levy renewal costs $1.25 per $1,000 assessed property value. Homes with the median assessed value of $238,000 would continue to pay about $25 per month. The levy would raise approximately $31 million in the first year.
In 2013, voters passed a five-year local option levy to restore teaching positions that had been cut due to repeated state funding shortfalls. The levy has raised $128 million, and 100% has remained in Beaverton schools to fund approximately 300 teaching positions and reduce class sizes. In the 2017-2018 school year, 158 of these positions were allocated to Beaverton's elementary schools, 53 to middle schools, 70 to high schools, and 18 to options schools.
Informational Flyer & FAQ:
Click below to download the English Informational flyer and Frequently Asked Questions.
Visit the Local Option Levy Information webpage for additional Languages.
IRS 2018 Withholding Calculator
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The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act has made changes to the tax law. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) encourages employees to check their paychecks to help ensure they’re having the right amount of tax withheld for their personal situation.
The IRS encourages employees to use the Withholding Calculator to perform a quick “paycheck checkup.” An employee checking their withholding can help protect against having too little tax withheld and facing an unexpected tax bill or penalty at tax time in 2019. It can also prevent employees from having too much tax withheld; with the average refund topping $2,800, some taxpayers might prefer to have less tax withheld up front and receive more in their paychecks.
The withholding changes do not affect 2017 tax returns due this April. However, having a completed 2017 tax return can help taxpayers work with the Withholding Calculator to determine their proper withholding for 2018 and avoid issues when they file next year.
The Withholding Calculator can be used by taxpayers who want to update their withholding in response to the new law or who start a new job or have other changes in their personal circumstances in 2018.
Plan Ahead: Tips for Using the Withholding Calculator
The Withholding Calculator asks taxpayers to estimate their 2018 income and other items that affect their taxes, including the number of children claimed for the Child Tax Credit, Earned Income Tax Credit and other items.
Take a few minutes and plan ahead to make using the calculator on IRS.gov as easy as possible. Here are some tips:
- Gather your most recent pay stub from work. Check to make sure it reflects the amount of Federal income tax that you have had withheld so far in 2018.
- Have a completed copy of your 2017 (or possibly 2016) tax return handy. Information on that return can help you estimate income and other items for 2018. However, note that the new tax law made significant changes to itemized deductions.
- The Withholding Calculator does not request personally-identifiable information such as name, Social Security number, address or bank account numbers.
- Use the results from the Withholding Calculator to determine if you should complete a new Form W-4 and, if so, what information to put on a new Form W-4. There is no need to complete the worksheets that accompany Form W-4 if the calculator is used.
For more information, please review the Withholding Calculator Frequently Asked Questions.
If you choose to update your Form W-4, please log on to Employee Online Services and click on Forms in the left-hand navigation to download a new Form W-4 or click on Tax Info under Pay Information and Edit your withholdings. Please note, the BSD cannot advise on W4 changes.
PERS Program Overview Workshop
The PERS presentation is designed for employees in Tier 1, Tier2 or OPSRP that wish to learn more about their PERS plan. A PERS retirement counselor will be giving the presentation.
This workshop is not designed for those retiring within the next 3 years.
Please register for the PERS Program Overview on TeacherSource (HR-135). The workshop is limited to the first 90 participants.
Budget Committee Meeting - April 23
The purpose of the meeting is for the Budget Committee to receive the Budget Message and to take comment from the public on the budget. Meeting materials will be posted to the Annual Budget webpage.
A copy of the budget document may be inspected or obtained on or after April 23, 2018 at the District Administration Center, 16550 SW Merlo Rd., Beaverton between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.
Annual Staff Survey
Later this month, you will be asked to complete the annual BSD Classified/Certified/Administrator surveys. These surveys are extremely important, and results are shared with the School Board each year.
The purpose of BSD’s Annual Survey is to assist the District in evaluating our progress and planning for the future. The Certified Staff Survey is for all certified employees who work for the Beaverton School District, either part-time or full-time. It is not for volunteers or contractors. You can see summarized results from previous years on the District’s Research & Reports page.
These surveys are voluntary. You may opt out of completing the survey at any time. All survey data will be summarized so that each person who answers will remain anonymous. Nothing in the survey content or District software will be used to personally identify you. Comments will be listed separately for administrators to read. This way, readers will not be able to identify someone by looking at the other answers they gave.
A question marked with an asterisk does require an answer and may shorten the survey for some. It is okay to go back and change your answer to a previous question, but you must finish the survey in one sitting.
If you have questions, email Julie Baker, Program Specialist. Thanks in advance for participating in the Annual Staff Survey!
LGBTQ+ Staff Affinity Group
If you are a staff member who identifies as LGBTQ+, consider joining the District’s LGBTQ+ Staff Affinity Group. We:
- Create an inclusive and affirming environment for BSD students, staff, and families
- Inform each other about the challenges and successes of supporting LGBTQ+ students, staff, and families
- Support one another through sharing resources and strategies
If you’re interested, please email Gretchen Mollers.
Actions for Allies: if you are a staff member interested in supporting LGBTQ+ students, show your support for our community by learning about the Day of Silence, and then participate in it on April 27th.
Monthly Tech Tip: Keep your friends close & your passwords closer!
Sharing usernames and passwords is never a smart practice. It’s especially unwise with your BSD account. The District assigns usernames and you create unique passwords to ensure accountability and security, and they’re a key piece of our internal control structure.
Your username and password authenticate your identity, proving that you are you.
You are responsible for any activity conducted using your username. If someone else is logged in to your account, you are still responsible for whatever happens. Sharing a password to any account that has stored information is like unlocking the front door to your house and leaving it wide open.
Single sign on is a tool used by BSD for managing access to multiple enterprise applications with one password. You can log into dozens of accounts at the same time without entering a username and password every time. Sharing your login password with one person provides them access to several enterprise accounts at the same time.
For example, Employee Online Services, Bkey to reset your password, Canvas, Clever, IFAS, Synergy, Outlook email, Google Drive, ORSPED, and others. While this tool eases a login burden it creates massive security risks when a password is shared.
If someone were to steal information or commit a malicious act while using your account, you could be held responsible. Even after you proved your innocence, you could still be held liable for giving out the password that lead to the malicious act.
Beaverton School District Code: IIBGA-AR. ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEM
- Respect the need for privacy and security. Never share your passwords or telephone access numbers with others and never use a password or telephone access number supplied by another if you do not have permission to use the service. (Page 7-8)
Energy & Resource Conservation Dept. Student Art Calendar Contest
The 14th Annual Student Art Calendar contest is officially underway. The theme this year, offered by the Springville K-8 first grade is:
What on Earth Can We Do?
The contest is open to all K-12 BSD students and the contest guidelines and entry form can be found on the Energy & Resource Conservation web site here.
The contest deadline is April 12, 2018. All entries should be sent to Sue Shade c/o Maintenance Services.
Retiring?
School Board Spring Work Session
Monday, Apr 16, 2018, 03:00 PM
Aloha High School, 18550 Southwest Kinnaman Road, Aloha, OR, USA
School Board Business Meeting
Monday, Apr 30, 2018, 06:30 PM
Adminstration Office, 16550 SW Merlo Rd., Beaverton
Budget Committee Meeting
Monday, May 7, 2018, 06:30 PM
Administration Office, 16550 SW Merlo Road, Beaverton
Signal to Noise
Signal-to-Noise is an exciting annual opportunity for students in the Beaverton School District to have their work viewed and evaluated by media professionals. The festival on May 10 celebrates student-produced video and related media. Film Chats will run 5:00 - 6:00 p.m. with the Awards Ceremony from 6:00 - 8:00 p.m.
For more information, visit http://www.signaltonoisefestival.com/ .
Thursday, May 10, 2018, 05:00 PM
Aloha High School, Southwest Kinnaman Road, Aloha, OR, United States
Final Construction Updates
Mountainside High School
Sato Elementary School
Vose Elementary School
Beaverton School District
The Beaverton School District recognizes the diversity and worth of all individuals and groups. It is the policy of the Beaverton School District that there will be no discrimination or harassment of individuals or groups based on race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, marital status, age, veteran status, genetic information or disability in any educational programs, activities or employment.
Email: melissa_larson@beaverton.k12.or.us
Website: www.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