Oregon-Davis Teacher Launching SIDS Prevention Foundation following Death of Infant Son

An Oregon-Davis teacher is turning her own personal tragedy into a chance to prevent other families from experiencing the loss of a child. The school board began last week’s meeting with a moment of silence, after one of Kindergarten Teacher Kayla Borton’s two-month-old twin boys, Case Michael, passed away from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.

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Cost of HVAC Upgrades Continues to Draw Frustration from Oregon-Davis School Board

Oregon-Davis School Board

Oregon-Davis School Board members continue to voice frustration that the $6 million the school corporation borrowed for HVAC upgrades won’t go as far as what they were apparently told. Engineer Kevin Livingston with guaranteed savings provider EMCOR presented some updated plans and cost estimates during last week’s meeting.

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Questions Raised during Oregon-Davis HVAC Project Hearing

Oregon-Davis School Board

The Oregon-Davis School Board has decided to keep moving ahead with planned heating and cooling upgrades, despite some surprise at the potential cost. Board members had been under the impression that bringing the HVAC systems at the two schools up to date would cost a total of $6 million. But the list of projects presented Monday by guaranteed savings provider EMCOR totaled almost $13.2 million.

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Oregon-Davis Teachers Voice Concern with Proposed Contract, Despite Raises

Oregon-Davis teachers would see their first pay raises in over a decade under the proposed 2019-2020 teacher contract, but not all teachers are happy with it. The tentative agreement would raise the starting salary for new teachers and offer veteran teachers a retirement incentive. But during a public hearing on the contract Monday, Teacher Elisabeth Cooper argued that it should have focused more on teachers in the middle.

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Oregon-Davis Officials, Parents Consider Ideas to Stop Enrollment Decline

Superintendent Dr. Don Harman discusses O-D’s enrollment trends during Wednesday’s work session.

To try to keep the Oregon-Davis School Corporation’s finances in the black, parents are now brainstorming ways to boost enrollment. During a school board work session Wednesday, Superintendent Dr. Don Harman said the pace of the enrollment decline has exceeded the projections he made during the referendum discussions in late 2017.

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Some Oregon-Davis Staff Members May Add High School Administrative Duties to Existing Jobs

Monday’s special Oregon-Davis School Board meeting was moved to the high school cafeteria, due to the number of parents and community members in attendance.

Following the departures of Oregon-Davis High School’s principal and assistant principal/athletic director, their duties may be absorbed by some existing staff members. Superintendent Dr. Don Harman presented an administrative restructuring proposal to the school board and dozens of community members Monday.

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Oregon-Davis Schools Considering Active Shooter App

O-D school resource officers Kyle Hinds and Frank Lonigro discuss the School Guard app and program with marketing consultant Tim Guy.
O-D school resource officers Kyle Hinds and Frank Lonigro discuss the School Guard app and program with marketing consultant Tim Guy.

The Oregon-Davis School Corporation is considering the addition of a smartphone app to quickly notify law enforcement of an active shooter or other emergency. School Guard creates a direct link between teachers, staff and nearby law enforcement officers. The app has a panic button that speed dials 911 and instantly sends an alert directly to nearby law enforcement officers with the companion free Hero 911 app on their phones. Continue reading

Oregon-Davis Schools Conduct Security Drill

Oregon-Davis Jr./Sr. High School
Oregon-Davis Jr./Sr. High School

The Oregon-Davis School Corporation has considerable room for improvement when it comes to following school safety protocol. School and law enforcement officials put their response to the test yesterday with an unannounced exercise involving an off-duty state trooper dressed in street clothes attempting to get into the high school. He walked in through a door in the shop area that was propped open and strolled around the school for a few minutes before a teacher notified the office and a lockdown notice was issued.

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