EPSD9 Community Newsletter
2023 - 24 School Year, October
We hope you can take a few minutes to watch our video about Bond Measure 15-221
Eagle Point School District 9 Bond Measure 15-221
Eagle Point School District’s proposed $58,295,000 school bond, if passed, would:
- Add classrooms & enhance learning environment
- Upgrade safety and security
- Secure a $4,260,706 state matching grant
Eagle Point School District is growing.
Eagle Point School District encompasses the communities of Eagle Point, Shady Cove and White City, serving nearly 4,000 students in nine schools. Enrollment is approaching capacity throughout the district, and continued growth is forecast as new construction continues.
The city of Eagle Point has averaged about 40 new homes per year over the past decade and has already issued land use approvals for over 300 new homes to be built over the next several years.
The communities of White City and Shady Cove together are averaging about 70-80 new homes per year.
The population of Jackson County increased 9.1% between 2010 and 2022, and the city of Eagle Point increased 8.7% during that same time period.
An enrollment capacity study conducted by IBI Group projects four schools will be over capacity by 2030: Eagle Point High School, Eagle Point Middle School, Eagle Rock Elementary School and White Mountain Middle School.
Funds from the proposed bond, if it passes, would be used for school facility projects throughout the district, including:
- Shady Cove School: Replace Grades 1-5 building. Building was constructed in 1928, has outdated operating systems, would cost more to repair than to replace
- Eagle Point High School: Add classrooms, upgrade fire protection systems, repair and replace perimeter doors, repave parking lots, upgrade locker rooms, add gate for more secure campus
- Eagle Point Middle School: Add classrooms, replace door sensors, add multi-use space for PE, STEAM/CTE classes, indoor recess, wrestling and after-school programs, upgrade traffic flow for student drop off and pick up
- White Mountain Middle School: Add classrooms, add multi-use space for PE, STEAM/CTE classes, indoor recess, wrestling and after-school programs
- Eagle Rock Elementary: Add classrooms, expand playground area, add outdoor covered area, upgrade traffic flow for student drop off and pick up
- Hillside Elementary: Add classrooms, gymnasium and covered outdoor area
- Table Rock Elementary: Upgrade traffic flow for student drop off and pick up, upgrade fire protection systems, add noise reduction between accordion walls, remodel restrooms, upgrade lighting, new playground equipment and fall protection
- Upper Rogue Center for Educational Opportunities: Add covered outdoor area, upgrade gym and office space
- Proposed Projects and Estimated Costs
What would the proposed bond measure cost?
Eagle Point School District’s proposed bond measure is $58,295,000. If it passes, property owners would pay approximately $1.30 per $1,000 of assessed property value. The cost would be about $390 per year, or $32.50 per month, for a home assessed at $300,000. The proposed tax rate is 34 cents per $1,000 less than the rate of the District’s previous bond, which expired in 2020. The bond funds would be repaid over 21 years.
Assessed value is the value used for determining the property owner’s tax liability and is different from real market or appraised value.
What happens if the proposed measure does not pass?
If the bond does not pass, the tax rate would not increase, and the proposed projects would not be completed.
EPSD9 Staff and Student Stories
Giving Back, Former Student Joins EPHS as Career Technical Education (CTE) Teacher
Ben Brown started the 2023 - 24 school year as the Transportation Technology Teacher at Eagle Point High School. He is passionate about helping students build employability skills beyond the auto shop. Mr. Brown graduated from the EPHS Auto program in 2004 and has since been connected with EPHS through the Thomas Ussary Memorial Car Show. As a teacher, he is excited about creating student pathways through trade skills and Career Technical Education (CTE). In his role, he can link students to industry connections before graduation.
Mr. Brown has participated in the Thomas Ussary Memorial car show since its early development, as Thomas was a close friend to Ben. Every Year the car show fundraises money to support the SkillsUSA programs and I've never been able to be part of the outcome.
Mr. Brown feels that as a teacher, he now gets to work with those students who benefited from the car show that he has participated in for years.
Mr. Brown feels he is more than just an Auto Shop teacher, he helps students build resumes and find success outside of the traditional university or college settings.
STEAM Classes at WMMS Help Connect Students to CTE Pathways at EPHS
Meet Ernesto Hernandez, a STEAM teacher at White Mountain Middle School. STEAM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math. Mr. Hernandez teaches two Robotics courses and one Coding class. Students use an app on their iPads as part of the curriculum to learn coding skills. Coding is essential to program the robot to move or act, making it function correctly.
Ernesto's courses at WMMS are designed to prepare and align students for EPHS Career Technical Pathways (CTE) courses and SkillsUSA. Middle school students can get a head start and be more prepared for a freshman robotics class.
Ernesto believes in hands-on learning and supports a wide range of students. He teaches collaboration and encourages students who excel to help others who may struggle. Ernesto enjoys doing demos with the students because it sparks their interest and is engaging for the entire class.
Ernesto hopes that the skills learned in his class transfer to other classes beyond CTE and STEAM. These types of classes create opportunities to learn problem-solving skills and creative thinking. If a student builds a robotic car using the wrong-sized part, creative thinking and problem-solving skills are essential to finding a solution to keep the project moving forward.
Ernesto Hernandez started with Eagle Point School District 9 in 2021 as a tutor. It didn’t take long for Mr. Hernandez to realize that he wanted to be more involved with the students. He jumped into teaching sooner than he initially anticipated and couldn’t be happier. He feels that as a teacher he is able to help students at the classroom level and have a bigger impact on their success.
Oscar and Joeohn are two students at WMMS who are enrolled in STEAM classes with Mr. Hernandez. Oscar was inspired by his big sister who went to SkillsUSA and won a national competition in 2022. He wants to stay with a Robotics Curriculum all through middle school and high school. Oscar feels that as he gets older, robots will be used more in the workforce and he wants to be someone who is in this career post-graduation.
Joeohn has always enjoyed playing with Legos and robotics is kind of like playing with Legos. He enjoys being creative and the STEAM courses offered at EPSD9 help build his creative skills. He feels that these types of classes are what he finds interesting and what the future will be moving toward more and more.
Vayl Bowling, Taylor Hagy, Matt Stone, Teneea Baker, Abigale Crawford-Pierson
EPSD9 School Board, October Recognition of Staff and Students.
The following students and staff were recognized at a recent assembly for their outstanding work by our School Board. (Photo Above, Matt Stone Board Chair)
Words from Shady Cove School:
Vayl Bowling
Vayl Bowling joined Shady Cove School in the fourth grade and is currently in the eighth grade. According to Mrs. Wade, Vayl is a diligent student who consistently follows class instructions and strives to enhance his abilities. Additionally, he is polite in his speech and demeanor and readily assists his classmates. We appreciate Vayl for serving as an excellent example for his peers and exhibiting a constructive Wolverine attitude!
Abigale Crawford-Pierson
Abigale Crawford-Pierson has been a student in Eagle Point School District since she began attending Shady Cove School in Kindergarten. She briefly attended Hillside Elementary and URCEO before returning to Shady Cove School, where she is currently a 5th grader. Mrs. Frei, Abigale's teacher, praised her for her exceptional academic performance and work ethic. Abigale actively participates in class, seeks assistance when needed, and perseveres through challenging tasks. She maintains a positive attitude and readily assists her classmates in any situation. We are incredibly proud of Abigale and believe she exemplifies what it means to be a Wolverine.
Taylor Hagy
It's worth noting that Ms. Taylor is no stranger to Shady Cove School. She spent most of her academic years there, starting from the 2nd grade. Later on, she became an Eagle at Eagle Point High School, where she played both Volleyball and Basketball. In 2014, Ms. Taylor joined the Shady Cove School as a part-time Instructional Assistant. However, she soon expressed her interest in working full-time with us, and we hired her as our Title 1 Instructional Assistant three years ago. From the outset, Ms. Taylor was also involved in coaching at SCS, taking on various sports, including volleyball, boys and girls basketball, track, and field. Our scholars always come first, and we love it when they come back to work with us. We're proud to say that Ms. Taylor will always be a Wolverine!
Teneea Baker
Coach T, also known as Ms. Baker, is a familiar face at Shady Cove School. She attended the school from 5th to 8th grade and later attended Eagle Point High School, where she was an active participant in Basketball, Soccer, and Track. When an opportunity arose to work at Shady Cove School, she immediately jumped at the chance. She began as an Instructional Assistant in the Kindergarten and 1st grade classes while also pursuing her teaching license in college. When a physical education teaching position opened up, she was the perfect fit for the job. Coach T is now in her second year of teaching at Shady Cove School, and she excels at her role. She coaches every sport offered at the school, including volleyball, boys and girls basketball, as well as track and field. She has become an invaluable member of our teaching staff, and we are confident that she will be a Wolverine forever!
EAGLE POINT, OR — We end our back-to-school series in Eagle Point.
Fourth grade teacher Julie Bidwell just started her 35th year as an educator; 30 of those years have been at Shady Cove School.
“It feels great, lots of things have changed over that time, but I’ve gotten to work with some really amazing kids and families,” Bidwell said. “I’ve had the privilege of being able to work with a lot of really talented and special people.”
Bidwell and her family moved up to Southern Oregon after spending the first five years of her career in San Diego.
She applied for a temporary job as a fifth grade teacher.
29 years later, Bidwell rotates between that and 4th grade, and loves the age group.
“They’re old enough to do a lot and still young enough to have fun,” Bidwell said. “I love their thinking; I love their learning.”
Bidwell said with her love for working with kids, she wouldn’t want to do anything else in life.
“My kids went through that school and through this district and graduated from Eagle Point,” she said. “It has a very special place in my heart.”
It’s that same compassion that led Dean MacInnis to his job in the Eagle Point School district.
He’s been working for the district office for three years after previously working in senior healthcare.
“I really have a big heart for humanity and (working with) kids is just an excellent steppingstone to move from senior health care,” MacInnis said. “There’s such a direct line to working with students.”
The MacInnis name has also been in the district for decades.
MacInnis graduated from Eagle Point High School in 2002, and said his mom worked at the front desk of Hillside and Eagle Rock Elementary for over 30 years.
“It was out with the old MacInnis and in with the new MacInnis,” he said. “It’s just been a blast being back and getting to know people.”
MacInnis said watching his mom be so passionate about her job made him want to give back to the community he grew up in.
He said he loves his job because every day he gets to be the reason why someone feels seen, welcome and valued.
“As soon as I showed up and started doing the things that she used to do with these kids, it was like bam, it just clicked,” MacInnis said. “There’s that passion that I watched my mom have for so many years, coming out of me.”
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SHOUT OUT to EPSD9 Maintenance!
Over the summer our Maintenance Team worked through heat, smokey conditions, and a huge list of facilities request! The pictures below are some highlights from the last few months of completed projects. WELL DONE TEAM!
Highlights from the Day
Ken Armstrong - Our Social Studies Teacher at EPHS was in time period attire for Constitution Day teachings! Here is a short video of his closing statement.
CULTIVATING THE next GEN
On August 7th - 9th at the Mace Building, Expo. A project of the Jackson County Stockmen's Association, CULTIVATING THE next GEN transpired. It was a three-day professional development for K-12 educators in Jackson County. Teachers were given the opportunity to gain foundational knowledge in agriculture.
This year, bees, beef cattle, and pears were presented and learned through farm and ranch tours, a producer panel, and discussions with knowledgeable industry leaders. This Professional Development is intended to enrich student learning, allow teachers to better present fulfilling career paths, and help raise the next generation of informed community leaders.
PAWS to Read, All Ages
Thursdays @ 3:30pm EAGLE POINT LIBRARY
Children are invited to share a story with a trained and registered therapy dog. Paws to Read at the Library provides a non-intimidating environment for budding readers to explore reading out loud. The dogs welcome a scratch on the head and the turn of the page from young readers.
REMINDER ABOUT: Remind
Two-way Communication for parents and students (Starts 2023-24 School Year)
EPSD9 utilizes Remind for 2-way communication in our classrooms. Teachers can use Remind to reach students and parents on any device, including texting-only phones—no smartphones necessary. Remind is a free, safe messaging tool that keeps families up to date with what’s happening in the classroom. Teachers can send messages to an entire class, smaller groups, or individuals. These quick, simple messages can help you and your student stay informed.
To get started, ask your student's teacher for the Remind Class Code and text it to 81010 to join.
Download our App!
Eagle Point School District 9 App
The EPSD9 District App is designed for parents, students, employees, and community members. Stay up to date with District messages, headlines, calendar events, attendance, and more. Download the EPSD9 App to your phone, tablet, or smart device. Click the link below that matches your device.
Eagle Point School District 9 Key Communicators
What’s next for our school district? You can get the latest information (and voice your opinions) by adding your name to Superintendent Andy Kovach’s Key Communicator emailing list. It’s easy, just CLICK HERE.