North Clackamas superintendent highlights $1 million summer grant, preschool gains and pilots Vocera and vapor sensors

Superintendent Shay James told the North Clackamas School District Board of Directors on Thursday that the district received a $1 million summer-learning grant and will focus this year on “connectedness” across students, staff and families.

James said the summer funding paid for literacy resources, mental-health services and summer programming at elementary, middle and high school levels. “We were fortunate enough to receive summer learning grant of a million dollars,” she said, adding the district braided multiple funding sources to reach students at all three levels.

The grant and other summer work matter because James said the awards were not guaranteed beyond the current year. “It makes it difficult to plan for summer funding every year as we don't know if we're going to receive it again next year,” she said. The superintendent told the board staff initially believed the funding would span three years but later learned that may not be the case, so summer programming beyond this year is uncertain.

James reported instruction-related results from the prior year: a 13% increase in proficiency for all second-graders and a 10% increase for students of color, figures she said the district will review in more depth at an upcoming fall presentation. She also said the district’s preschool program entered its fourth year and is supporting elementary literacy goals.

On operations and student supports, James said the district opened more than eight after-school/care locations this year serving about 630 K–5 students and that the number of students on the wait list is essentially flat, with four fewer students than last year. She said the district opened the school year with two vacant care-professional positions and that four of eight care sites opened with no turnover.

James announced technology and safety pilots. She said the district is piloting Vocera communications devices and that Stryker (the company handling Vocera networking) is completing back-end work; the district-level training is done and a school rollout is planned for mid‑October. She also said Milwaukie High School is piloting vapor sensors in some bathrooms and the district will report results to the board.

James also highlighted awards and staffing: the communications team won a national podcast award three years running, and several new administrators were introduced via a communications-produced video. She asked the board for any questions and said more detailed classroom- and enrollment-level data will be provided at the board’s October meeting.

Board directors asked clarifying questions during the presentation about the 21st-Century/"20 first century" grant timing, enrollment and the Vocera rollout; James and staff said the Vocera rollout is on track and that the district has received support and training.

The board did not take formal action on any of the items in the superintendent’s report during the meeting.