North Bend School Board approves integrated guidance plan to pursue state education grants

The North Bend School District 13 Board approved an integrated guidance plan to apply for multiple Oregon Department of Education grants, the board confirmed during a meeting that included a presentation from district staff and an open public hearing that drew no speakers.

The plan consolidates several state grant programs — including the Student Investment Account (SIA), high school success, and early literacy components — into one integrated application and budget narrative. Tim, a district staff member who presented the packet, told the board: "These are non-competitive grants, but they have a lot of, strict guidelines we have to follow in order to actually receive the money." He also said the application involves extensive reporting and multiple points of board involvement.

Board members heard that the integrated guidance application is intended to streamline community engagement and planning that were previously handled separately for each grant. The presentation said the packet combines answers to state-required questions, describes district programs and strategies, and shows how the district plans to "braid" other funds with grant dollars so the district meets grant requirements even when specific activities are funded from other sources.

The plan sets several district outcomes tied to grant eligibility and reporting: early-literacy goals for K–3 students, reading and math acceleration while closing achievement gaps, multiple pathways to graduation including CTE (career and technical education) linkages, increased ninth-grade on-track rates (with a stated goal of 90 percent on-track after ninth grade), and supports to address school safety and social-emotional needs. The packet aligns those outcomes to the district's strategic plan and lists specific strategies such as literacy coaching, high-dose tutoring, extended-learning opportunities, graduation coaches and attendance advocates.

Financial and program details presented to the board included: - An expected allocation of about $7,300,000 over the next two years referenced in the presentation as the district's planning estimate for the integrated grants. - A small recurring amount (about $6,000 per year) noted for an "Everyday matters" attendance-related item referenced on the slides. - Indirect administrative costs that offset district administrative effort needed to implement and report on the grants. - A required 25 percent district match for the early-literacy component; the presenter said the match is expected to come from Title I funds and that the district would need to identify another source if Title I were cut.

The presenter emphasized accountability and reporting requirements: independent performance audits, quarterly and annual financial and GRAMA-style reports to the state, and development of Longitudinal Performance Growth Targets (LPGTs) with the state. He described the state's review and quality review process, noting the plan is subject to a Quality Assurance Learning Panel (QALP) review. If reviewers request changes, the state will work with the district to update the plan.

The presenter said the application must be submitted by April 30 (application deadline cited in the presentation), after which the state will review the narrative and budget, co-develop LPGTs with the district, and, if approved, issue a grant agreement that must be returned to the board for final approval. The packet and related materials will be posted on the district website prior to submission for public transparency.

The board opened and closed the required public hearing on the integrated guidance plan; no members of the public attended in person or online to comment. Following the presentation and brief board discussion, a motion to approve the integrated guidance plan "as set forth above" was made and seconded; the board conducted a roll-call vote and recorded unanimous approval among members present. The roll call included the following board votes recorded as "Aye": Julie Pease; Mary Schilling; Michelle Roberts; Carrie Nordy; Nathan McClintock; Jim Jordan. One board member (referred to earlier in the meeting as Dallas) was noted as absent.

The district also outlined a tiered-planning list of potential uses for unspent funds (for example, family outreach, transportation services, supplies, and other broadly defined items) to allow reallocation during the two-year plan period without resubmitting the full plan. The presentation also noted that some program requirements — for example, specific definitions for high-dose tutoring and extended-learning opportunities tied to the early-literacy guidance — must be met to qualify expenditures.

Board members asked clarifying questions about funding formulas (the presenter said SIA is funded through the corporate activity tax and allocations correlate to district student population), how the budget will appear in the district budget documents (grants will appear in special revenue fund categories), and how the plan links to student-level progress monitoring (the presenter said data are disaggregated to student groups and, where needed, to individual students through school and special-education teams).

Next steps spelled out in the presentation: post the packet to the district website, submit the application by the April 30 deadline, complete state review and any QALP feedback, co-develop LPGTs with the state, and return to the board later for approval of LPGTs and the grant agreement. The board approved the plan by roll-call vote and closed the meeting after taking that action.