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A LOOK INSIDE April 2019 Proposed front entrance plans for Brookwood Elementary, page 9 On To Worlds page 12 For the first time, students from all four comprehensive high schools will compete in the world robotics championships in Houston, TX. Student Achievement Spotlight: Career and College Pathways Volunteers Annie DeForge Wins Best in Fair at Intel Science Expo Summer Programs with a CCP Focus Volunteer Hero: Williane Tenca page 12 page 13 page 14 Superintendent’s Message 2 n Feeder Updates: Century 3 | Glencoe 4 | Hilhi 5 | Liberty 6 n Bond 7-10 n Miller Education Center 11 | Hillsboro Online Academy 11 n Community Partners 15 3083 NE 49th Place l Hillsboro, OR 97124 503.844.1500 l www.hsd.k12.or.us 2 │ A LOOK INSIDE Hillsboro School District April 2019 HSD MIssion: ENgage and challenge all learners to ensure academic excellence There are nearly 368,000 people who either implement a budget for the 2019-20 school currently or formerly worked for school dis- year assuming reductions of approximately tricts, universities, community colleges, or $9.6 million, as additional funds would state or local government agencies who are probably not be available until 2020-21. PERS-eligible. Approximately 41 percent of them come from K-12 or higher education. We Over the past few months, staff and Board fully support fair, legal, and creative methods members have had numerous conversations of lowering the current unfunded actuarial with legislators regarding the need for stable liability of the PERS system. Doing so would and adequate school funding. Additionally, Superintendent’s Message reduce the amount public employers are re- Board members have been visiting parent quired by law to contribute. Those employer group meetings at our schools to provide Accountability and Transparency in rates are increasing by approximately 5 per- information about our budget situation and an era of Shrinking Budgets cent per year over the next two years, which Our Spring Hillsboro Schools Summit’s theme equates to approximately $10 million for the share their personal stories about why was “Accountability Loops: Legislative Advo- Hillsboro School District—money that comes educationto encourage is important people to talkto them, to elected and advocate officials, cacy, Bond Work, Student Achievement.” I felt directly out of the general fund. for increased funding for K-12 education. I the theme was timely and appropriate, given encourage you to share your voice as well. Our However, we also realize there is simply are currently convened in the 2019 Legisla- nothing to be done about the bulk of the from students, parents, and other community tivesome Session of our keywhere realities: they are1) Electedwrestling officials with memberselected officials is the consistentlymost impactful say for that them. hearing For the 2019-21 K-12 budget, initial proposals were already earned and promised, and more information, please visit our Budget of which would leave our district several mil- theliability Oregon because Supreme it represents Court has benefits repeatedly that Matters webpage at www.hsd.k12.or.us/budget. lion dollars short of what would be needed to protected them. maintain current services; 2) Much work was Switching gears to our 2017 bond progress completed last year under the 2017 Bond and So what are we to do? provides an interesting contrast to our gen- we are embarking upon our largest project eral fund budget discussion. We are extremely year in 2019; and 3) We continue to provide For our district to maintain a no-cuts budget grateful to voters for passing the bond and robust and meaningful experiences to our stu- for the next two school years, we would need are very proud of the work we’ve completed dents and graduate more of them on time. a state-level K-12 allocation of $9.462 billion. so far. Our bond fund is healthy and we have a And, as of right now, there are four proposals dedicated team working hard every day to en- We take very seriously our responsibility to currently on the table for K-12 funding in the sure we are completing projects as promised oversee all of the functions of the Hillsboro 2019-21 biennium: - School District and to ensure that we are doing sible. It is important to note that bond funds in the most fiscally-responsible manner pos the best we possibly can for students, while • Co-Chairs of the Joint Ways and Means cannot be used to support general fund ex- managing our available resources in a frugal Committee: $8.87 billion, which would penses—there are strict rules around that. So and prudent manner. When we are faced with leave HSD $20.86 million short and re- we cannot, for example, borrow money from budget shortfalls, as we have been for nine out quire sustainable reductions of $11.3 mil- our bond funds to mitigate the shortfall in our of the past eleven years, I, along with input lion* in 2019-20. general fund. Please see the four-page pull- from staff, the Board and Budget Committee, • Gov. Kate Brown: $8.972 billion, which out section in the center of this newsletter for determine how to manage those reductions would leave HSD $17.3 million short and detailed updates on our bond progress. while also meeting our strategic objective of require sustainable reductions of $9.6 mil- ensuring all students graduate prepared for lion* in 2019-20. Finally, I would like to end on a celebratory note and congratulate the class of 2018 for career, and/or college, and civic life. • Gov. Kate Brown’s reinvestment plan: achieving an on-time graduation rate of 84.47 $9.972 billion, which would provide ap- I am not a person who subscribes to the no- proximately $18.1 million in targeted ad- percent and an on-time completion rate* of tion that more is always better. I understand ditional funding for HSD (targeted invest- 88.88 percent. (*Completion rate includes that sometimes there is complacency in the ment areas include lowering class sizes in those students who earned an adult high way things have been done in the past and that primary grades, supporting student health school diploma, extended diploma, or GED.) those things can remain even as new ideas, and safety, expanding curricular offerings, I would also like to highlight the narrowing people, and programming come on board. and increasing learning time). of the achievement gap between white and Latino students—from 6.48 percentage points However, when it comes to K-12 funding, we • Quality Education Model/Joint Com- in 2016-17 (86.08% vs. 79.60%) to 5.55 are at a point where we simply need more to mittee on Student Success: $10.77 bil- percentage points in 2017-18 (85.66% vs. do better. lion, which would provide up to $46.4 million** in targeted additional funding 80.11%). While we will certainly continue to Over these past eleven years, we’ve reduced for HSD. focus on increasing our graduation rates and a net total of nearly $64 million from what (*Sustainable reductions of more than half of closing this gap, students—as well as staff, would have maintained current service levels the total shortfall in year one of the biennium families, and other advocates—should be very from year-to-year. To do so, we have explored would be required to account for roll-up costs proud of the results that have been achieved. every option—from increasing class sizes, to in year two. Please continue reading to be inspired about - **Some of the Joint Committee’s funding rec- all of the great things that are happening in ministrative positions and programs, to re- ommendations are aimed at early learning the Hillsboro School District. classifyingreducing classified expenses hours, to other to fundingeliminating sources, ad and other education priorities, so the increase to reducing operating reserves, and more. At to HSD would likely be less than $46.4 mil- As always, I appreciate your involvement and the same time, we have closely examined the lion.) support. services we are providing to students and The scenario that appears most likely at have worked hard to ensure that the things Respectfully, in which we do invest are research-based and press time is passage of Gov. Brown’s base represent best practice in educating students budget for K-12, with a possible revenue and serving their needs. package referred to the November ballot to reach her reinvestment plan level. If that is The elephant in the room, of course, is PERS— the case, even if the revenue package were to Mike Scott the public employees retirement system. pass in November, we would need to pass and Superintendent April 2019 A LOOK INSIDE Hillsboro School District │ 3 Century Feeder: ● Century High School ● R.A. Brown Middle School Elementaries: ● Butternut Creek ● Imlay ● Indian Hills ● Ladd Acres ● Reedville ● Tobias Century High School students and mascot unveiled their new turf field at a ribbon- cutting ceremony on Monday, April 1, 2019. ● Indian Hills STEM is in the air at Indian Hills! From Bridge Building to Pinball machines, Human Body Systems, Inventions, and more, our students are diving deep into science. To inspire some creativity, build motivation, in- crease academic content language, and build career connections with science, engineer- ing, technology and math, students have been busy reading, watching videos, building, ex- perimenting, hosting guest speakers, and tak- School Highlights ● Century Century's focus on service was pres- pared for the play. The play was a smash and all of our projects! ent this past winter during the annual food R.A. Brown is hoping to bring Drama back as ing field trips.