H. Friend lead in the flag salute.

The item was not brought before the Board.

P. Lee reviewed the plans for the grand opening of 225 Oak Street, scheduled for September 16, 2025. He will be speaking at the event, along with representatives from Head Start and La Clinica. P. Lee invited the board, and the majority of members are expected to be present.

Regarding the four large oak trees on the property, P. Lee reviewed one tree that is leaning and may need to be removed. He is seeking a third opinion on its condition. It appears that the trees may be past their prime, and there could be a risk of them falling into the Wellness Center. At least one of the trees has internal rot. P. Lee also contacted the Tree City organization to maintain a good community partnership and inform them that the trees may need to be removed for safety reasons. It is likely that new trees will be planted to replace them. P. Lee reminisced about playing under those trees 40 years ago.

H. Friend asked whether the trees had been previously assessed. P. Lee responded that past reviews focused on drainage and exploring options for minimizing impact to the trees.

He also noted that the lean in the tree has always been present. The nearly 20-inch cavity is older and has barked over.

P. Lee invited the board to the Annual Inservice Welcome Back Breakfast on the 26th at 7:30 a.m.

H. Friend asked about Head Start enrollment. P. Lee confirmed that enrollment has started.

T. Kirkpatrick shared that the new Jr./Sr. building is fully operational. An open house will be held in the new building on the 28th from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., providing an opportunity for the public to tour the facility. The new secure vestibule project is nearing completion. They were informed today that the doors will not be in place on the first day but will be installed within the first week. Painting is currently being finished.

T. Kirkpatrick and P. Lee noted that the contractors have been outstanding. The building will be mostly complete, and they will be ready to serve students. Fencing is nearly finished, and gates are being installed today. Teachers return on Monday. At the open house, there will be food, schedules, teachers, La Clinica, and more available to families.

A. James shared her Be a Marigold, Find a Marigold report.

She also discussed the upcoming Meet and Greet Open House, scheduled for August 28th from 4:00 to 6:30 p.m. This is a combined event featuring 19 confirmed community partners set up on the East Campus blacktop. The event will include dinner, information sessions, welcome folders, and family surveys.

A. James added that they have coordinated with a literacy and writing coach for this school year.

For SEL, the team is excited about providing targeted instruction. She also reviewed the School Improvement Plan.

J. Chick asked about the writing component. A. James explained that it is comprehensive, not necessarily focused on penmanship, but rather on grammar, sentence structure, content, and related skills.

Summer School

J. Parks shared an update on supporting and wrapping up summer school. She described the program as amazing. The funding, a two-year grant, was announced last minute in the spring. A total of 154 students, grades K–12, registered for the program, which operated on two campuses. At the high school level, actual credit-bearing courses were offered. More details can be found at secure.smore.com/n/42p9sg-rrsd-summer-school-2025.

J. Parks noted that the students were ready to learn and participated in highly engaging, interactive, and fun learning experiences. She highlighted the excellent work of the two program coordinators, C. Meier and S. Wicks.

SVA (Southern Valley Academy)

J. Parks mentioned that she has been producing a newsletter and invited the board to the SVA Back-to-School Bash on August 27 from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. The event will feature an open house, BBQ, community partners, and a grand reopening celebration.

P. Lee thanked J. Parks for stepping into a leadership role with summer school. He added that the SVA space has transformed significantly over the past year, it now feels more welcoming to students and more professional overall. "It’s a different place," he said.

No report this month. 

W. Bogard shared that their teachers are back, and everyone is missing their science teacher. Student enrollment is still ongoing. Their enrollment cap is 230 students, and they are currently at approximately 225.

They have a Sno-Cone Social coming up. This year is starting off a bit slower than usual, with the first day of school scheduled for September 8th.

P. Lee noted that this is a contract negotiation year for both RRSD and REACH.

J. Chick reported that the Summer Board Conference was great. Although it was a smaller group than usual, it was enriching. There was significant discussion around the cell phone ban, as well as updates on policy changes. Because of the smaller group size, he was able to engage in more meaningful conversations.

J. Chick also noted that D. Watson, from Phoenix-Talent, will be taking over as president of OSBA next year. This will create an opening on the OSBA board for Southern Oregon representation.

E. Poston addressed two situations at the high school that have raised concerns within the community. She reviewed the rationale behind the board's actions, both in public settings and in communications. She also made herself available via email to discuss what is legally permissible.

H. Friend added comments regarding student freedom of speech. She expressed the desire for the district to re-evaluate its policies around student artwork, particularly as it relates to balancing freedom of expression, age-appropriateness for younger children, and community standards. H. Friend has been researching case law and presented the foundation of some ideas. She believes RRSD should develop more specific guidelines, especially in light of the large number of emails received on the topic.

D. Sweeney reported that there is not much to report as insurance has not been finalized yet. In October, D. Sweeney will have more specifics.