Public Comments

Volunteers in the District

In working with volunteers the district addresses issues of safety, confidentiality, training, contractual considerations, reliability/consistency, and commercial advantage. 

Most volunteer hours are accrued at the elementary level.  Current program needs include:

• Providing training for building volunteer coordinators; 
• Working to better use our volunteers, matching volunteer skills with school needs; 
• Streamlining the completion of background checks on volunteers; and 
• Reaching out and recruiting volunteers in the community.

The Interface Between District 4J and other Community Agencies

She made a number of points, including: 

• Collaboration takes time.  Throughout the process of downsizing in the early 90s, as workloads increased, staff were hard pressed to make time for these collaborative relationships. 
• When the community is rich in resources, the schools are rich in resources.  When the community is resource poor, the schools are resource poor. 
• Most community agencies have had a loss in their own resources as schools' resources have dwindled, creating major service gaps. 
• Most resources come from the federal government. 
• Many agencies are competing for the limited number of resources available to all. 
• When the funding source such as a grant runs out, there is no way to sustain the fine programs established while the funding existed. 
• More students with greater needs are coming to school now.  Whereas in the 1960s and 70s special education programs primarily served students with learning disabilities, current programs serve (in addition to the learning disabled student) increasing numbers of students identified as autistic, attention deficit disordered, unattached children, and drug and alcohol affected children.

Presentation to the Schools of the Future Committee:

Next Meeting:

At the meeting Nancy Heiligman and Caroline Passerotti will present basic information about our current financial state as well as provide a future financial forecast.  Also, David Meredith will present basic information on the Eugene Education Fund.