Schools adjust to 4-day week

Sixth-grade students put their library period to good use Thursday at South Baker Intermediate School. From right to left are Savannah Baird, Kaelee Blaylock, Chey Anne Watkins and Sierra Winans. Students get 30 minutes of library time twice a week.

By CHRIS COLLINS
Baker City Herald

The first week of school has not been without startup glitches as the Baker School District rolled out new bus routes, introduced new staff members and inaugurated a new four-day week when classes got under way Monday.

Some students arrived late for class the first day after the bus drove past them and had to return to pick them up. And another child was picked up 25 minutes earlier than scheduled, said Superintendent Walt Wegener.

“There are going to be some kinks — there are some,” Wegener said. “We’re going to solve some of these problems. There  there were no major glitches — just here and there."

Elementary schools are full throughout the district, he said. Enrollment, at 1,775 students, was about level with the number enrolled at year’s end in June, but down about 55 from last year’s startup.

Kindergarten classes will be watched closely as the year continues to make sure  class sizes remain at the 19- to 20- student level. If necessary, another section will be added, Wegener said.

“We will be watching everything pretty carefully, at least until Sept. 12,” he said. That’s traditionally when enrollment stabilizes as all family’s return from vacations and settle into routines for the year.

Here are enrollment figures at each grade level as compiled by the District Office:

• Primary (Brooklyn, Haines and Keating Grades K-3) — 516; up from 506 in June.

• Intermediate (South Baker, Haines and Keating Grades 4-6) — 376, down from 380 in June.

• Baker Middle School — 285, down from 287 in June.

• Baker High School — 556, down from 560 in June.

• Eagle Cap (the district’s new innovative high school program) — 29; last year’s Learning Opportunity Center at Haines had 28 students at year’s end.

• Elkhorn Adolescent Treatment Center — 13, down from 19 in June.

Some new staff members have joined the district — despite layoffs that resulted from a reduction in force required to save money — because of certification and licensing requirements after programs were reorganized, Wegener said.

New people and those who have been reassigned to fill other positions this year include:

• Maure Albert, a former Baker School District teacher, who has filled a half-time language arts position at Baker High School.

• Kristen Bell, who has been hired to teach art at Baker High School. She replaces Brenda Johnson who has retired. Nicole Butler will teach art at Baker Middle School, replacing Ginger Rembold, who also has retired.

• Cynthia Forrest, who moved to Baker City from Turner, will teach music to Baker City kindergartners and students in kindergarten through sixth grade at Haines and Keating schools. Rebecca Anderson, who has taught music at South Baker Intermediate only, will expand her role to provide music instruction to students at Brooklyn Primary School this year as well. Terry LaMont has resigned from his position as music teacher at Brooklyn, Haines and Keating.

• Kris Pepera who most recently taught at the middle school level at Madras, is teaching social studies at Baker High School.

• Leah Pepera, who taught at the elementary level at Madras, will teach a blended kindergarten/first-grade class at Haines.

• Stephani Rasmussen, who is teaching social studies half-time at the high school.

• Metta Willmarth of Elgin, who is teaching special education at the high school.

• Wayne Paxton, who formerly worked as a mechanic for the district, has been reassigned as transportation supervisor. Dan Srack, former maintenance worker, who has been reassigned to maintenance supervisor. They are filling roles held by Ron Stoaks, who was director of both programs before retiring this spring.

• Jessica Wickert, who will serve as the district’s food services director, replacing Jean Dean, who resigned this summer.

• Christie Settles and Lynn Miller, who have joined the district as new bus drivers.

• Custodian Allen Lutz, who has been reassigned from his custodian position at Baker High School to head custodian at South Baker Intermediate School, replacing Mike Wickert, who has retired.

Students can be seen arriving at school earlier and are leaving their buildings later this year because of revised schedules to accommodate the new four-day week.

Today is the first Friday off for students and staff. Classes will resume Tuesday because of Monday’s Labor Day holiday.

Here are the new Monday-through- Thursday start and end times at each school:

• Kindergarten: The three sections of morning kindergarten are from 7:50 a.m. to 11:05 a.m. The afternoon classes begin at 12:20 p.m. and end at 3:35 p.m.

• Brooklyn Primary and South Baker Intermediate: 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

• Haines (K-6): 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.; preschool, Monday and Wednesday, in two sections, 7:30 a.m. to 10 a.m. and noon to 3 p.m.

• Keating (K-6): 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.

• Baker High School and Baker Middle School: 7:50 a.m. to 3:31 p.m.

• Eagle Cap, the district’s new innovative high school that meets at the former North Baker School Building, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.