Superintendent Owens used the Oct. 22 work session to summarize several district initiatives affecting operations, safety and community partnerships.

Owens said the district will convene an educational summit as part of its long-range facilities planning effort; the summit will convene a representative group of educators, facilitated by DLR Group consultants, to set design priorities based on instructional needs rather than just facility age. “Our goal is to ensure that the design priorities we set are grounded in educational purpose and community context rather than driven solely by facility age or infrastructure needs,” Owens said.

The superintendent reported operational changes: the district plans to implement TimeClock Plus, a new electronic timekeeping system for hourly employees, with an expanded rollout to school sites next month after pilot testing with custodial and nutrition services. Owens said the district coordinated with OSEA leadership during planning and will provide training and support during the transition.

Owens announced a $20,000 technology award to Butler Creek Elementary through a partnership between Intel and the local Best Buy store in Gresham. The award was the result of a national retail competition; a Best Buy employee who is a Butler Creek parent nominated the school. Principal Imran Sideras and Owens attended a celebratory event at the Gresham Best Buy; the school purchased touchscreen Chromebooks, printers, a public-address system and a digital signage display with the grant funds.

Owens also described ongoing partnership work with Nike’s Global Places and Services team: recent donations included classroom furniture now in use at multiple district schools and the district is coordinating to accept more items — desks, chairs, stools and whiteboard tables — for reuse across schools.

The board heard recognition of staff during safety-related observances: Owens noted America’s Safe Schools Week and National School Bus Safety Week and showed a video from the district transportation team. Suzanne, identified as the district’s director of transportation, described routine vehicle and safety checks and said bus drivers follow state training standards.

Centennial High School’s Eagle Expo was promoted as an upcoming opportunity for the community to attend student presentations about post–high-school plans; Owens and board members encouraged attendance to provide feedback to students.

Board members asked questions about logistics for the OSBA regional dinner and the superintendent confirmed details and RSVP process. No formal board actions were taken on the superintendent’s informational items.