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Superintendent says district tests show stronger reading results than state report card and says city breached SRO contract
Summary
The district superintendent told the Molalla River SD 35 board that local NWEA MAP testing shows 60% of K–5 students at or above national norms while the Oregon State Report Card shows 35% on grade level; he also said the city failed to provide a school resource officer and the district sent a breach-of-contract letter.
The Molalla River School District 35 superintendent reported to the board on June 11 that local assessment results and an ongoing dispute over school resource officer services are priorities for the district.
On assessment results, the superintendent contrasted two figures: the Oregon State Report Card’s metric the transcript characterizes as 35% of elementary students being "on grade level," and the district’s NWEA MAP results showing 60% of K–5 students reading at or above national norms on a 30-year norm-referenced assessment. The superintendent said those local scores present "a very different story" about district performance and praised teachers for the outcomes.
On school safety and operations, the superintendent said the district has been without a full-time school resource officer (SRO) for about seven months. He said the city recently invited the district to discuss a two-year contract with an increased cost but did not acknowledge the vacancy. The superintendent said the district, with legal counsel, sent a letter to city leaders asserting the city is in breach of contract and seeking commensurate funds; he said he will reach out to the county sheriff as a possible contingency if an agreement is not reached.
The superintendent also updated the board on capital and technology work, saying the middle school construction and a new turf project are on time and on budget and that the district’s switch to a new internet provider was successful.
What was said verbatim: the superintendent said, "One of those numbers is 35... On that assessment this year 60% of our students are reading better than the average student nationally." He also said, "I've also provided the city with a letter indicating that they're in breach of contract and that they owe the school district a commensurate number of dollars associated with their breach of contract." No city official responded in the meeting.
What’s next: the board was informed that administration will pursue discussions with city leaders and, if necessary, consult the county sheriff’s office for SRO coverage next year. The district did not present additional comparative data reconciling the state and local measures at the hearing.
