By Stephen Floyd Staff at the Silver Falls School District (SFSD) are expected to receive notice of their job prospects within the next week-and-a-half, according to Interim Superintendent Joe Morelock. During an ongoing meeting tonight of the SFSD Board, Morelock said he hopes within the next 10 days to notify staff whose positions are being eliminated as part of steep […]
By Stephen Floyd A $3.82 million bridge loan sought by the Silver Falls School District (SFSD) accounted for nearly half of such loan requests in Oregon, according to a report from S&P Global Ratings. In a summary dated May 10, S&P measured the creditworthiness of four districts, including SFSD, requesting a total of $8 million in tax anticipation notes (TAN). […]
By Stephen Floyd The Silver Falls School District (SFSD) is asking the public what they would like to see prioritized financially as significant cuts for next year threaten staff, programs and facilities. The district has been advised to reduce the 2024-2025 budget by roughly $8.8 million, or 12 percent of the current budget, to correct years of overspending and revenue […]
By Stephen Floyd Seven furlough days for the present school year have been approved by the Silver Falls School District (SFSD) Board as part of efforts to address significant budget shortfalls. During the board’s regular meeting April 22, members voted unanimously to designate May 3 and 24 and June 10-14 as furlough days on the school calendar. These will be […]
By Stephen Floyd The Silver Falls School District (SFSD) has partnered with the Coalition of Oregon School Administrators (COSA) to find an interim superintendent as the search for a permanent superintendent takes shape. During the SFSD Board’s regular meeting April 22, it approved a COSA-led search process that could result in hiring an interim superintendent by mid-May. This would leave […]
By Stephen Floyd The Silver Falls School District (SFSD) has applied for a $3.8 million loan to help address a $1.3 million cash shortfall, with most of the funds expected to be invested to offset financing costs. During a special meeting April 11 of the SFSD Board, officials voted unanimously to pursue a tax anticipation note (TAN), which borrows against […]
By Stephen Floyd The Gervais School District (GSD) plans to continue operating for one more year if a $28 million facilities bond on the May 21 ballot fails. District officials said last summer, if a May bond were to fail, the district would be unable to afford critical repairs at its two remaining schools and may be forced to dissolve. […]
By Stephen Floyd Respondents overwhelmingly supported cuts to administration in a survey by the Silver Falls School District (SFSD), while opposition emerged against preserving all K-8 schools and esports programs. As of Monday afternoon, 1,347 people had participated in a survey on ThoughtExchange asking what they believe should be preserved as the district plans steep budget cuts for next year. […]
The first of seven approved furlough days in the Silver Falls School District (SFSD) begins this Friday as employees from all job classifications take cuts to balance the district’s budget. The SFSD Board approved May 3 and 24, and June 10-14, as furlough days during their regular meeting April 22, and both of the district’s unions have since ratified the […]
By Stephen Floyd The Silver Falls School District (SFSD) is applying for a $3.8 million bridge loan to avoid a $1.3 million cash shortfall in June and additional budget challenges forecast for the next school year. During a special meeting Thursday of the SFSD Board, officials voted unanimously to pursue a tax anticipation note (TAN), which borrows against property taxes […]
By Stephen Floyd Former Newberg Superintendent Joe Morelock has been hired as interim superintendent for the Silver Falls School District (SFSD), with the goal of “stabilizing” its finances and administration. During a special meeting April 1, the SFSD Board approved an intergovernmental agreement with Willamette Education Service District (WESD), where Morelock currently serves as superintendent. The agreement, effective through June […]
Silver Falls School District officials proposed a timeline for choosing an interim superintendent to begin July 1 after current Interim Superintendent Joe Morelock’s service concludes. During the SFSD Board April 8 meeting, dates for gathering public and staff feedback, and conducting interviews were presented. Board Chair Jennifer Traeger said the goal is to expend as little money on the process […]
By Stephen Floyd The Silver Falls School District (SFSD) has been advised to cut $1.2 million from its current budget by June and $8.8 million for the next school year to correct a looming deficit and patterns of overspending. During the April 8 meeting of the SFSD Board, officials received a financial presentation from Jackie Olsen, executive director of the […]
By Stephen Floyd Former Silverton High School Principal Sione Thompson has resigned from his position as of April 2 to take the helm of a struggling charter school in Nevada. The Silver Falls School District confirmed Thompson’s departure in a media release that day and said Assistant Principal Patrick Mulligan has stepped in as interim principal. Mulligan is expected to […]
By Melissa Wagoner Robby Morrissey’s AP Computer Science class at John F. Kennedy High School recently got the attention of an organization known as the College Board, which oversees advanced placement classes across the nation. The class enrollment is unusual in an industry composed mostly of white males. “Last year the majority of the class (we had about 20) were […]
By Melissa Wagoner During the spring conferences held on March 22, each family in the Mt. Angel School District was given a gift – a brand new copy of R.J. Palacio’s award-winning book, Wonder. “We saw a need, especially as we come out of COVID,” Middle School Principal Jeff Taylor said of the project, which he hopes will encourage a […]
By Melissa Wagoner It’s Best Fox Ever season at Silverton High School, a time when six members of the senior class go head-to-head in a competition to discover, not only who is the best fox but who can raise the most money for two important nonprofits, Silverton Area Community Aid and Medical Teams International – a nonprofit providing life-saving medical […]
By Melissa Wagoner Learning to read is one of the most important skills a child can master, according to Mark Twain Elementary School principal Katie Beckett. “It’s the gateway to equity,” she said. But that doesn’t mean it’s always easy, especially for those students who spent their kindergarten year learning online during the COVID pandemic. For those students, lower than […]
Former Newberg Superintendent Joe Morelock has been hired as interim superintendent for the Silver Falls School District (SFSD), with the goal of “stabilizing” its finances and administration. On Monday night, the SFSD Board approved an intergovernmental agreement with Willamette Education Service District (WESD), where Morelock currently serves as superintendent. The agreement goes into effect April 3 through June 30, during […]
Silverton High School (SHS) Principal Sione Thompson has resigned from his position as of today to take the helm of a struggling charter school in Nevada. In a media release Tuesday, the Silver Falls School District (SFSD) confirmed Thompson resigned effective April 2 and Assistant Principal Patrick Mulligan has become interim principal. Mulligan is expected to serve through the remainder […]
By Stephen Floyd The Silver Falls School District (SFSD) is preparing a two-pronged approach to temporarily fill the vacant superintendent’s position. The board plans to appoint both an interim superintendent and a goodwill ambassador. During a March 21 workshop, the SFSD board members said they face the distinct challenges of repairing a growing budget deficit and restoring trust in district […]
The Silver Fall School District Board has unanimously voted to remove a $73 million bond measure Silver Fall School District Boardfrom the May 21 ballot amid broader financial and administrative challenges. The decision was made during a special meeting held virtually the afternoon of March 21, as the district had a deadline of 5 p.m. that day to pull the […]
By Stephen Floyd Scott Drue has resigned as superintendent of the Silver Falls School District (SFSD) as the district braces for an $825,000 budget shortfall and faces a crisis of employee trust. Drue’s resignation was accepted by the School Board during a special meeting Wednesday night effective immediately. The board then named Assistant Superintendent Dan Busch as acting superintendent. In […]
By James Day The Marion County 4-H ThinkRobots Club, which includes students from the Silverton area, placed three teams in the top 5 at the Feb. 24 elementary and middle school state tournament at Cedar Ridge Middle School in Sandy. A total of 26 middle school teams and 19 elementary school teams competed in the all-day event. One ThinkRobots team […]
The Community Roots School chess team of Silverton finished second at a regional chess tournament on Feb. 24 at Tallmadge Middle School in Independence. The team, in its second year, was led by Grayson Huebsch and Deklan Pozos, who finished second and third, respectively, in the 4th grade and under division. The tournament brought together teams from Marion, Polk and Benton […]
