North Clackamas superintendent reports completed renovation work, new bus cameras and Vocera pilot; federal Title I and II allocations reduced

Superintendent Shay James told the North Clackamas School District Board of Directors that phase 1 of a Wichita renovation is finished, the district has installed video cameras on its fleet and launched a communications pilot, and federal grant funding has been reinstated this year but at reduced allocations.

"We completed phase 1 of the Wichita renovation, looking at the roof, doing some hallway painting, boiler, and really, creating a more welcoming space," James said. She said the building is back open to the public.

On transportation, James said the district has installed cameras on all buses: "All of our large buses have 8 and then our vans have 2." She said the stop-arm that extends when buses load and unload also has a camera, which the district can use to document unsafe passing and report to law enforcement if necessary. Director Olsen asked for confirmation that the cameras are on every bus; a staff member confirmed they are on every bus.

James also said the district has launched Vocera, a wearable communications badge system. She said operations staff have completed training and that the district will pilot the system this year at six schools starting with Oak Grove Elementary, with a goal of having the full rollout complete by the end of the year.

On federal grant funding, James said the district’s federal funds were reinstated after a pause but that allocation amounts were reduced. She told the board the district experienced about a 7% reduction to its Title I-A allocation and a 15% reduction to its Title II allocation. James said district staff worked for several weeks to adjust budgets, reviewed vendor contracts and made targeted changes. "We did not have any layoffs," she said, though she added the district eliminated a couple of vacant positions and moved some employees into different roles to manage the reductions.

James said the district is monitoring the situation and will continue to communicate with staff and the broader community. She told the board she will return in September with a more comprehensive "beginning of the year" update and new-administrator materials.

The comments came during a brief public board meeting in which no community members had signed up to speak and the board approved the consent agenda earlier in the evening.