Letters to the editor 12/27/2017

To the Editor:

As a complement to monthly school board meetings, superintendent coffees, newsletters and open office hours, I plan to pen Letters to the Editor in the hopes of being even more communicative with the entire Sisters community.

We have much to celebrate coming out of our December 13 School Board Meeting:

• We celebrated that our Volleyball Team are the 2017 State Champions!

• Enrollment increased 11 students this past month.

• 2017 state testing results and graduation rate prove, again, that Sisters School District is the best district in Central Oregon.

Additionally, we had an outstanding presentation from students from Mrs. Givot's biology classes. They conducted field studies in the Trout Creek Conservation Area, a 161-acre parcel owned by the School District that sits between the High School and the Tollgate community. They discussed how they collected their data, the data collected on different plant and animal life observed, and discussed environmental issues related to the TCCA.

I am very happy with the overall implementation of the 2017 general obligation bond funds. The District, the school board, and the Bond Oversight Committee are committed to delivering on all of the promises captured in the $10.7 capital investment. Due to favorable interest rates and the matching grant, we have been able to strategically fund additional improvements in every building, creating a better environment for students and staff.

In light of a number of factors, we have decided to "pump the brakes" and focus 100 percent of our bond energy into finishing the original $10.7 million scope. Concurrently, we'll update our master facilities plan, continue due diligence, conduct a school-wide "Mission and Vision" exercise with an outside facilitator and solicit additional community input as we continue to strive to keep Sisters School District the best in Central Oregon.

Watch for information regarding a community open house in the New Year.

Sisters schools are among the best in the state for many reasons - our teachers, parents, classified staff, administrators, volunteers, community members and students are the real drivers of our success. It does take a village. I wish you all a happy (and restful) holiday break and look forward to a great 2018.

Curtiss J. Scholl

Superintendent, SSD