Malheur County students loaded up their backpacks and filed back into the classroom last week to start a new school year.
As the school year kicks off, boosting reading scores and expanding access to preschool remain top priorities for school districts in Malheur County.
Schools across the county have many new faces, including principals and teachers.
Ontario High School Principal Ken Martinez said the school is down four teachers. Martinez said the school needs two math instructors, one social studies teacher, and a culinary arts instructor. He said the school cannot offer students the culinary arts career and technical education program until it can employ a culinary teacher.
The teacher shortage comes as the high school has seen a surge in enrollment from last year, Martinez said. The school has about 150 more students this year, he said.
He said crews are finishing construction on a new track and a seismic rehabilitation of the school’s gym. Martinez said the projects, while necessary, have disrupted activities on campus.
The gym project meant the volleyball team shifted its practices and games to Ontario Middle School or Treasure Valley Community College, according to Martinez. He said the projects are scheduled to be completed over the next two months.
Ontario School District officials did not respond to requests for comment about its educational goals for this school year, including what it plans to do with two mothballed rural elementary schools.
Vale
In Vale, Superintendent Alisha McBride said the district hired six teachers, two school counselors, and administrators, including Kayla Roberts, who is principal of Vale Middle School. McBride said the district expanded administration by moving Lisa Andersen, former middle school principal, to the school’s special education department.
McBride said Vale High School and Willowcreek Elementary School are getting new tennis courts. Additionally, the school board is upgrading the high school and Willowcreek entrances to improve security and increase school safety. The $323,600 cost is coming from the district’s federal COVID funding.
She said the district also adopted a new science curriculum for all grades.
Adrian
Adrian opened a preschool this year – the Adrian Little Lopers Preschool. Ketterling said the preschool will have 18 slots available and opens on Monday, Sept. 16. The cost is $500 a month, but state and other funding sources can help cover the cost for those who qualify, Ketterling said.
Since becoming the district’s superintendent nearly five years ago, Ketterling said opening a preschool has been a priority.
“We have seen the gap continue to grow between students that had some type of preschool and those that did not,” Ketterling.
He said that attending preschool does not just help students come in higher academically but emotionally and socially as well.
Nyssa
The Nyssa School District has new faces this year, including Tara Bastian, vice principal at the middle school.
Superintendent Ryan Hawkins said administrators are working on how to integrate artificial intelligence into teaching. For example, he said teachers are figuring out to incorporate generative artificial intelligence to help write a student’s individual education plan to free educators for more classroom time.
Meantime, Hawkins said the district is focusing on eliminating distractions in the classroom brought on by technology. Nyssa High School announced during the summer that it would ban cell phones inside school buildings during school hours. While school has only been in for a week, Hawking said students had been responsive to the new policy.
Harper Charter School
Construction is nearly complete to replace a building destroyed by a fire last year at Harper Charter School, according to Ron Talbot, the district’s superintendent.
The building will feature an 1,800-square-foot shop for welding and ag programs and a classroom. Talbot said the classroom will be a new addition, allowing teachers to go from classroom to hands-on instruction.
As with other districts, Harper is participating in the early literacy program through the Malheur Education Service District, which allows Harper educators to take part in training to teach early literacy.
The district also used some of the state funding for summer school for students who needed additional help with reading, according to Talbot.
Talbot said the district has about 30 more students this year than in 2023. He said the district hired another reading teacher to keep up with its growth.
News tip? Contact reporter Steven Mitchell at [email protected].
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