HSD News Round-Up

The School Safety & Security Capital Levy on the April 22 ballot would fund school safety improvements while keeping school tax rates stable. As an existing bond rate drops off, this Safety & Security Capital Levy would take its place with no increase to projected tax rates.

What safety & security improvements would it fund?

• Installing automatic lockdown capabilities at Hockinson Heights Elementary School,

• Securing school entries,

• Adding and improving exterior fencing at HHES,

• Updating campus security systems, including security cameras and public address system at HHES

• Installing emergency messaging systems at all schools.

Exciting news! The HSD will be unveiling a new website after Spring Break. It might look similar, but the website will be more streamlined and easier for users to find information. Families and community members will still access the website through the same web address: www.hocksd.org

The new website is administered through Apptegy. At the beginning of this school year, Hockinson School District began using Apptegy to send mass notifications such as inclement weather alerts and school announcements. This new platform integrates our mass communications (text/robocall/email notifications) and website, making information sharing and messaging more efficient. We think you're going to love it!

On March 20-21, students in the Hockinson High School theater department and director Stephanie Evans attended the Washington State Thespians Festival - affectionately known as the "Thespys" - at the Seattle Convention Center. Hockinson High School was one of only eight schools statewide to earn Silver Honors at the event. Way to go, HHS Theater!

Clackamas Community College Band Festival

At the 53rd annual Clackamas Community College Instrumental Jazz Festival, the HHS Jazz Band walked away with the second place trophy in the 5A division! Congrats to Thilo Kluth (piano) and Sarah Boehi (alto saxophone) for being recognized as outstanding musicians. HHS Wind Ensemble also took home 3rd place in their division and 1st place for their sight-reading! The HHS Band program is directed by Corey McEnry.

Lower Columbia River Music Educators Association (LCRMEA) Festival

On March 19, the HMS 8th grade band performed at the LCRMEA Band Festival at Garver Theater in Camas. After their performance, they had a wonderful clinic and critique. They received three superior ratings for their stunning performance. Great job to students and Director Jennifer Ritenburgh! Thank you to chaperones and parents for making this experience possible.

A week later, the HHS Band also performed at the high school LCRMEA Festival and received "Superior" scores - the highest a band can receive. The HHS Wind Ensemble earned the highest score of any band that day, with the Symphonic Band following as the second highest. Well done, HHS musicians!

Thank you, Hockinson community. The Hockinson K-12 music program is levy-funded.

The HSD recently received two Department of Commerce energy grants to update HVAC equipment at HHES and track energy use/savings. Many of the water heaters at the school are nearly 50 years old. HSD stretches every dollar by actively seeking grant opportunities to address educational and facility needs. Learn more here.

Thanks to a grant through the E-Rate program, HSD Technology staff will be able to replace wireless access points at HMS and HHS for a fraction of the actual project cost. The new access points make it possible to communicate with the district’s wireless management system, which gets periodic updates to make it as efficient and safe as possible.

E-Rate is a program that provides discounts on internet technology for schools and libraries.

The district has been approved for a 60% E-Rate discount reimbursement. The total cost of this project is $69,579.51. After the reimbursement, the final cost to the district will be $27,831.60. That’s a savings of nearly $42,000!

Have you noticed the snazzy trailer parked at Hockinson High School? It’s the culmination of a months’ long project spearheaded by the HHS Band Boosters and supported by Dr. Ron Hsu and other generous donors. Thank you! Now, whenever the HHS Band travels to a performance, they will be bringing some impressive school and community spirit with them - in the form of their logoed instrument trailer.

The 2023-24 HSD Annual Report is now available on our website! Every year, we publish online the annual report for the previous school year.

Spotlight from the Annual Report: Last school year, Hockinson School District received about $1.3 million in grants and donations. These funds supported educational programs and minor facility repairs at Hockinson schools. School and district leadership apply to multiple grant programs each year in an effort to offer high-quality educational opportunities while reducing the impact to taxpayers.

Read the full report online here.

On March 28, Superintendent Steve Marshall sent out a “By the Numbers” letter to staff and families summarizing some number-based spotlights across the HSD. Here are a few highlights:

• 153: Number of students who took the PSAT this year, up from 152 last year and 100 in 2023.

• 31.4%: The percentage of HHS students participating in a spring sport like baseball, softball, boys & girls track, girls tennis, boys soccer, and girls golf.

• $422,873: HSD’s insurance premium for the 2024-25 school year (!) This is up from $189,720 in 2021-22. In 2025-26, the insurance premium is estimated to be $592,022. As we have in past years, our district is comparing the coverage and prices from different insurance carriers, but unfortunately these increases are industry-wide.

You can view the entire HSD By the Numbers message here.