November 13, 2025

OSBA Annual Convention – “Building Bridges to Student Success”
I was very fortunate to have attended the Oregon School Boards Association’s 79th Annual Convention in Portland from November 6–8, 2025, along with six of our seven board members (although our 7th was there in spirit). The event was informative, engaging, and provided valuable opportunities for learning and collaboration with education leaders from across the state.

The convention focused on practical strategies to improve student success, strengthen board governance, and foster effective communication among district leaders. Sessions highlighted best practices in board-superintendent collaboration, community engagement, and legislative advocacy.

This year’s keynote sessions, roundtable discussions, and workshops offered excellent insight into statewide education initiatives and emerging challenges facing Oregon schools. It was also an excellent opportunity to connect with colleagues and share perspectives on local and regional issues. 

South Coast Legislative Forum
All four of our regional legislators, Senator David Brock Smith, Senator Dick Anderson, Representative Court Boice, and Representative Wright, have confirmed their attendance at the upcoming South Coast Legislative Forum, to be held on Tuesday, December 2.

This forum provides an opportunity for regional superintendents, district leadership, and school board members to engage directly with legislators on key issues impacting education on the South Coast.

ODE Statewide Facility Assessment
The Oregon Department of Education (ODE) will begin the facility assessment for our district next week. This program, fully funded through federal Supporting America’s School Infrastructure (SASI) funds, provides all Oregon school districts with a no-cost, comprehensive evaluation of facility conditions.

The assessment, conducted by ODE’s contractor Bureau Veritas, will document deferred maintenance, building conditions, and ADA accessibility for every school site. The resulting report will include cost estimates, a facility condition index, and a five-year capital improvement plan to assist with future planning, budgeting, and funding opportunities. 

District maintenance staff will work with the assessment team to provide access to buildings and maintenance records.

Districtwide Food Box Program – Thanksgiving Week

All district schools are partnering to provide food boxes for families in need during the week of November 24–30, with each school contributing from its Needy Student Fund (created through donations) and additional support from PTO and community donors. North Bay Elementary is leading the effort, coordinating donations and vendor partnerships, including local and regional businesses, to source items as efficiently as possible. Families have submitted requests through a districtwide survey, and the team will prioritize previously identified high-need families, such as those experiencing homelessness first.

Boxes will be assembled by staff and volunteers at a central location and distributed at two primary sites, with home deliveries for families who cannot pick up. Each box provides a week’s worth of meals, and our goal is to  ensure that every requesting family is served, with final box contents adjusted based on the number of requests.

Strategic Planning Update

All schools have now scheduled meetings with Performance Fact to develop their individual school plans, aligned with the district strategic plan. Each meeting included the school’s leadership team along with administration. These plans will help ensure districtwide alignment with strategic goals and serve as the first step in creating a clear throughline from district to school, to teacher, to student. Plans will be reviewed at the next District Leadership Team Meeting.  Performance Fact will join us at a board meeting on February 5th to provide an update on overall strategic plan progress. 

Staff Listening Sessions – North Bend Schools
Recent listening sessions at all schools provided valuable insights into district operations. Staff shared feedback on student behavior, communication, staffing, facilities, and instructional practices, while also highlighting several areas of success. These discussions will help the district identify priorities and support continuous improvement.

Key themes included the need for more consistent and effective behavior supports, including refinements to Check-In/Check-Out and PBIS systems, and additional staffing to address escalating behavioral challenges. Staff also requested clearer, more consistent communication and transparency regarding policies, behavior plans, and decision-making, as well as opportunities to collaborate on aligning school-wide systems. Facilities and infrastructure needs were raised, including custodial support, building repairs, and functional learning spaces, all of which impact staff and student well-being. Scheduling and instructional time were noted as areas for continued focus, though staff appreciated dedicated PLC time and SEL supports.

Despite challenges, staff recognized numerous successes, including supportive leadership, effective SEL and academic programs, improvements in reading and math outcomes, and appreciated policy updates such as the NBHS cell phone policy. These sessions provide a clear roadmap for strategic planning, resource allocation, and districtwide alignment, ensuring every school and classroom has the tools and supports necessary for student and staff success.

ODE Statewide Budget Planning
Over the past several weeks, the Oregon Department of Education (ODE) has engaged in required statewide budget planning in preparation for the 2026 legislative session. On October 1, the Legislative Fiscal Office requested that all state agencies develop 2.5% and 5% reduction options for consideration. ODE submitted these options on November 3.

This is a routine planning exercise, and no budget cuts are being made at this time. The Legislature will determine if and how reductions are implemented. It is important to remember that there are no immediate cuts, this is a planning exercise; decisions will be made during the 2026 legislative session, beginning February 2. Finally, we must continue to make decisions that stay focused on students and student outcomes. More information will be shared as specifics become available. 

ODE School Nutrition Program Update
The Oregon Department of Education (ODE) recently conducted an administrative review of the district’s school nutrition program, including onsite visits to North Bend High School from October 29–30, 2025.

ODE commended the district for its exceptional preparation and professionalism throughout the review. Staff submitted well-organized documents, demonstrated strong knowledge of compliance, and showed enthusiasm, commitment, and pride in their work. The district’s efforts to increase accessibility to school meals were recognized, particularly the districtwide implementation of the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP). ODE highlighted innovations at the high school, such as pre-packaged fruits and vegetables, the effective use of a “share” table, and a welcoming cafeteria environment. Meals were noted as fresh, attractive, age-appropriate, and varied, reflecting the district’s dedication to reducing food insecurity and promoting student well-being.

OSAA Volleyball Tournament

Over the course of last weekend, North Bend High School hosted the top 8 teams in the 3A OSAA volleyball tournament.  The tournament really started for us on Wednesday, November 5^th with preparations and getting the gym, lobby and Hall of Champions prepared.  The teams arrived Thursday night with a team dinner in our cafeteria for all 16 teams (4A was being hosted at Marshfield) and a seafood dinner for the head coaches and special guests in our Hall of Champions.  After dinner, the teams gathered in the gym for a friendly team competition and welcome from the state tournament committee.

The matches started bright and early Friday morning, with doors opening at 8:00am and the first match at 9:00am.  Throughout the day we had 6 total matches, culminating with both semifinals Friday evening.  We were all back at it on Saturday; again, with the doors opening at 8:00am and the first match at 9:00pm; with Valley Catholic and Westside Christian competing in the finals at 6:30pm.  All in all we hosted 11 matches total over the two days.

It took a small army for this to happen and I would like to say a special thanks to a few of the district employees for their work to help make this tournament a success.  First, Travis and the grounds crew for getting the bleachers into position and other maintenance needs.  Also, to Kaleb Noggle and Lee Ray on the custodial staff for taking great care of the facilities over the weekend.  Finally, Joe and his IT staff prepared the specific needs of the OSAA and its streaming requirements.

We also had a few school based organizations help out as well as the senior parents took care of all of the ticketing for the tournament.  The North Bend Booster Club handled all concessions throughout the weekend, as well.  We had two NBHS students sing the national anthem for the whole tournament, Lilly Elam and Jaimi Stewart who were great!  All in all it was a lot of fun and with great weather teams from across the state got a chance to enjoy our school and our beautiful town!

Navigating a successful course for every student, every day, every way
1913 MEADE STREET • NORTH BEND. OREGON 97459-3432
Phone: (541) 756-2521 • Fax: (541) 756-1313
Acting Superintendent Tim Crider