By Stephen Floyd The Silver Falls School District (SFSD) has published a new Class Size Dashboard to increase transparency regarding teacher workloads. The dashboard went live April 11 and the district expects to update classroom figures weekly. Assistant Superintendent Dan Busch told the SFSD Board April 10 the dashboard was in direct response to recent union negotiations where class size […]
By James Day The eight candidates for positions on the Silver Falls School District Board participated in a lively and informative two-hour forum April 23 at the Silverton Grange Hall. On hand were Zone 7 incumbent Tom Buchholz and his opponent, Jesse Smith as well as Zone 1 candidates Phil Wiesner and Jo Tucker, Zone 3 candidates Derrick Foxworth and […]
By James Day Kennedy High School in Mount Angel will have a new welding room in the fall, courtesy of a private fundraising campaign led by the Mt. Angel Community Foundation. The project, which broke ground on April 26, is not related to the facilities bond that Mt. Angel School District voters will be voting on in the May 16 […]
Dear Mount Angel Citizens: As your Mayor, I would like to share my thoughts on the upcoming bond election for the Mt. Angel School District. I have reviewed the projects that would be funded by the proceeds of the bond sale. They are very necessary improvements that will greatly improve the safety, security and school environments for our students. Passing […]
Eight candidates are running for four seats on the Silver Falls School District (SFSD) Board this May, with a variety of perspectives and priorities for each contender.
Our Town asked each candidate about why they are running and the impact they hope to have if elected. Below are their answers in full.
The Silverton Grange is hosting a candidate forum Sunday, April 23, for those running for the Silver Falls School District Board and the public is invited to attend. The forum is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. at the Grange Hall, 201 Division St. N.E., Silverton. Each of the eight candidates will give an opening statement, then the audience will have an […]
By Stephen Floyd Officials with the Mt. Angel School District say a $7 million bond measure is about improving critical infrastructure rather than giving buildings a facelift. It’s about needs, not wants, plus a one-time state-sponsored opportunity to get $11 million in repairs with a $7 million bond. School Board Chair Shari Riedman said the new bond is for improvements […]
By Stephen Floyd It was an unprecedented week for the Silver Falls Education Association (SFEA), between a rally in Downtown Silverton and a meeting directly with the Silver Falls School District (SFSD) Board. The district and union continue to negotiate a contract one year after bargaining began in April of 2022. A sixth mediation session is scheduled for April 17. […]
In the April 1 issue of Our Town, the article titled “In the ring – Eight file for four seats on SFSD Board” should have referred to Jo Tucker by the personal pronoun “she.” The article should have also included a brief biography on Eliza Torlyn. She has raised her children in the district and has served on the SFSD Bond […]
By Stephen Floyd Eight candidates are running for four seats on the Silver Falls School District (SFSD) Board at a time when labor negotiations have soured and teachers are ready to strike. Our Town reached out to each candidate for their perspective on the relationship between SFSD and the Silver Falls Education Association (SFEA), as well as their goals as […]
By Melissa Wagoner When Emily Rau received an email from KPTV FOX 12 Oregon informing her that her classroom at Butte Creek Elementary School was being named Classroom of the Month for March 2023 she couldn’t believe her eyes. “I thought it was spam,” she laughed. “So, I Googled it.” Secretly nominated by her husband, Jim Rau – who had […]
Three incumbents on the Silver Falls School District Board have declined to seek re-election during the May 16 primary for reasons ranging from personal obligations to concerns over district leadership. March 16 was the filing deadline for primary candidates. Board members Janet Allanach, Lori McLaughlin and Jonathan Edmonds, whose terms expire this year, did not submit their names. Allanach and […]
By Stephen Floyd The Silver Falls School District (SFSD) Board is hopeful they can compromise with the teacher’s union after an impasse was declared March 17, though administrators say there is little ground left to give. During a special meeting of the board March 23, officials said they were optimistic a negotiated contract was possible during mediation sessions scheduled for […]
By Melissa Wagoner Many may remember Silverton High School’s annual spring mock-pageant and fundraiser, Mr. SHS. But what they might not know is that in 2020, just before the COVID-19 pandemic shut down schools, the contest was renamed, The Best Fox Ever, so students of all genders could take part. “It’s stayed the same other than slowly more girls have […]
Two members of the Think Robots Club will be moving on to international competition in Dallas, Texas, next month. An elementary school team of Derek Schaefer and Zane Davis named the Splitbotters qualified for the May 2-4 event. The Splitbotters qualified with their performance at an Oregon qualifying event that Think Robots Club hosted March 4 at Butte Creek Elementary […]
By Stephen Floyd Note: This article has been updated to reflect corrections and a statement from SFSD. Teachers with the Silver Falls Education Association (SFEA) have declared an impasse and authorized a potential strike after nearly a year of contract negotiations. SFEA made the announcement Friday evening, March 17, after a third mediation session on March 9 did not result […]
By Stephen Floyd The Mt. Angel School District has placed a $7 million facilities bond on the May 16 ballot, with a $4 million state grant attached if the bond passes. The district board unanimously approved a resolution Feb. 13 to send the issue to voters based on a recommendation from the district’s Bond Oversight Committee. If the measure passes, […]
The Silverton High FFA program continues to shine in producing students who earn their state degrees. A total of 13 Silverton FFA students will receive their state degrees March 18 at the Oregon FFA Convention at the Deschutes County Fairgrounds in Redmond. The state degree is the highest award a state FFA association can bestow upon its members. Recipients receive […]
By Stephen Floyd School districts in Silverton and Mount Angel have identified racial and cultural inequity as areas that need greater focus, based on student performance rates published by the state last year. On Oct. 20, 2022, the Oregon Department of Education released its At-A-Glance reports, breaking down enrollment, test scores and other metrics for individual schools and districts. In […]
By James Day The Future Foxes football and cheer program is heading into a new season with tons of momentum. The program, which serves boys and girls in third through eighth grades while also offering camp opportunities for younger athletes, included 203 football players and 102 cheerleaders last season. “As the program continues to grow,’ said board president Dan Mulick, […]
By Stephen Floyd The Silver Falls School District (SFSD) is headed to a third mediation session with its teachers’ union as collective bargaining continues nearly a year after it began. Parties are scheduled to enter mediation again March 9 after sessions Feb. 7 and 13 did not result in finalized contract proposals. Both sides are allowed to declare an impasse […]
Silver Falls School District (SFSD) is inviting the community to a series of listening sessions as a Bond Advisory Committee considers the need for infrastructure funding. Sessions are scheduled at schools throughout the district and will feature a presentation from members of the committee and opportunities for public feedback. Three listening sessions have been held so far, with additional sessions […]
By Stephen Floyd Tensions in the stalled labor negotiations between the Silver Falls School District (SFSD) and the teachers’ union have ramped up. The Silver Falls Education Association (SFEA) said an infographic broadcast Jan. 24 via ParentSquare, and later on the district’s website, was “an escalation” as the two parties entered mediation. “We feel the extensive document sent out to […]
By Melissa Wagoner When Erin Scott discovered Silverton High School’s senior class – of which her oldest son is a member – did not have enough money to hold the traditional Grad Night celebration she was alarmed. “I can still remember every detail of my Grad Night,” she said, noting that, although she graduated from a Portland area high school, […]
By Stephen Floyd The Silver Falls School District (SFSD) says it would face financial hardship if it accepted terms proposed by the Silver Falls Education Association (SFEA) as the two head to mediation Feb. 1. On Jan. 24, the district issued a statement addressed to “Silver Falls Families” saying the union’s requests for higher teacher pay and limits on class […]
