Oak Ridge Today

School board adopts budget asking city for more money for salary increase

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Oak Ridge Schools School Administration Building

This is a cropped version of a photo by Julio Culiat.

 

The Oak Ridge Board of Education on Monday adopted a budget that will ask the Oak Ridge City Council for more money for a 2.5 percent salary increase for teachers and staff members.

The total amount needed to fund the 2.5 percent salary increase is $855,810, after about $98,000 worth of budget adjustments.

Most of the money for the salary increase could be available if the City of Oak Ridge agrees to continue putting into the budget $538,046 worth of funding that was given to the school system last year on a one-time basis to help pay for a digital device initiative that includes convertible laptops for students, among other expenses. In other words, the school board will ask the city to make that $538,046 a recurring source of funding, as opposed to non-recurring (one-time) money.

The school board will then ask for an additional $317,764 on top of the $538,046, or $855,810 total.

The budget passed on a second and final reading on Monday in a 5-0 voice vote with no opposition. [Read more…]

Graduation Celebration for ORHS seniors is June 1

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Students always enjoy the “photo booth” at Graduation Celebration. This was taken at the June 2016 party. (Submitted photo)

Students always enjoy the “photo booth” at Graduation Celebration. This was taken at the June 2016 party. (Submitted photo)

 

The 21st annual Graduation Celebration event will be held at the Oak Ridge Civic Center on Thursday, June 1. Oak Ridge High School seniors are invited to register for the free party, where they can win cash and prizes while making memories with their classmates in a safe environment, a press release said.

The event requires nearly 200 volunteers and dozens of spots are still open. Volunteer jobs are available in security, inflatables, thank you notes, casino, food, prizes, and more. Please visit www.graduationcelebration.org to register as a volunteer. [Read more…]

School board expects to ask city for more money for salary increases for staff

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Oak Ridge Schools presented its proposed budget for the fiscal year that starts July 1 to the Oak Ridge Board of Education on Tuesday, May 9, 2017.

Oak Ridge Schools presented its proposed budget for the fiscal year that starts July 1 to the Oak Ridge Board of Education on Tuesday, May 9, 2017.

 

The Oak Ridge Board of Education expects to ask the Oak Ridge City Council for more money for a 2.5 percent salary increase for teachers and staff members.

The total amount needed to fund the 2.5 percent salary increase is $855,810, after about $98,000 worth of budget adjustments.

Most of the money for the salary increase could be available if the City of Oak Ridge agrees to continue putting into the budget $538,046 worth of funding that was given to the school system last year on a one-time basis to help pay for a digital device initiative that includes convertible laptops for students, among other expenses. In other words, the school board will ask the city to make that $538,046 a recurring source of funding, as opposed to non-recurring (one-time) money.

The school board will then ask for an additional $317,764 on top of the $538,046, or $855,810 total.

Oak Ridge Vice Chair Bob Eby made the proposal to ask for increased funding from the city. [Read more…]

Community meeting on May 25 to discuss new Oak Ridge Preschool

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The new preschool could be located at Elm Grove Park in east Oak Ridge or Scarboro Park in central Oak Ridge, pictured above on Saturday, Feb. 25, 2017, and the city's school board expects to recommend one of the two sites on Monday, Feb. 27, a school official said Friday. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

Plans call for the new Oak Ridge Preschool to be located at Scarboro Park in central Oak Ridge, pictured above on Saturday, Feb. 25, 2017. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

Oak Ridge City Council voted during a special-called meeting on March 27 to select the Scarboro Park site as the location for a new Oak Ridge Preschool. As part of the ongoing dialogue with the community about this future facility, city leaders will host another public forum-style meeting at the Scarboro Community Center on Thursday, May 25, from 6 to 8 p.m., a press release said.

Two previous community meetings were held at the same venue, one on March 23 and another on April 20, to discuss the preschool. Members of the community who attended those meetings were able to see preliminary concepts, ask questions, and provide input on decisions, the press release said.

The City of Oak Ridge and Oak Ridge Schools have been working to choose a site for the new preschool for about two years. Once the building is complete, the preschool will relocate from the school administration building on New York Avenue. Members of a committee formed to recommend possible sites looked at city-owned properties and a multitude of factors that would impact future students, their families, and the community as a whole, the press release said. Scarboro Park, the site ultimately selected by City Council and the Board of Education, is across the street from the Scarboro Community Center on Carver Avenue. [Read more…]

Education Foundation awarded more than $90,000 in grants in April

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Oak Ridge Public Schools Education Foundation board members who were present with a big check at an grant awards ceremony at Oak Ridge High School on Wednesday, April 26, 2017. (Photo courtesy ORPSEF)

Oak Ridge Public Schools Education Foundation board members who were present with a big check at an grant awards ceremony at Oak Ridge High School on Wednesday, April 26, 2017. (Photo courtesy ORPSEF)

 

In the final year of its “Making the Critical Difference” campaign, the Oak Ridge Public Schools Education Foundation awarded more than $90,000 in grants to Oak Ridge teachers. The grants were awarded during a ceremony at Oak Ridge High School on Wednesday, April 26.

Shirley Raines, president emeritus of the University of Memphis, was the featured speaker. Her talk was titled “Dreamers, Thinkers, Doers.” During her talk, Raines exhibited great appreciation and provided inspiration for teachers, a press release said.

“She asked teachers to think of the person who moved them to pursue their dreams, to be innovative thinkers, and to share their success stories which result from their grant awards in order to encourage their peers,” the release said.

The April 26 ceremony was open to the public with demonstrations of some of the projects and technology funded by the Foundation on display.

The 2017 grant recipients were: [Read more…]

UCOR awards 25 mini-grants for local school projects

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URS | CH2M Oak Ridge LLC (UCOR) on Monday, May 15, 2017, announced 20 winners from five East Tennessee counties in the 2017 UCOR Education Mini-Grant Program, which recognizes and supports excellence in teaching. (Photo courtesy UCOR)

URS | CH2M Oak Ridge LLC (UCOR) on Monday, May 15, 2017, announced 20 winners from five East Tennessee counties in the 2017 UCOR Education Mini-Grant Program, which recognizes and supports excellence in teaching. (Photo courtesy UCOR)

 

URS | CH2M Oak Ridge LLC (UCOR) on Monday announced 20 winners from five East Tennessee counties in the 2017 UCOR Education Mini-Grant Program, which recognizes and supports excellence in teaching.

Awarded annually since 2012, grant funds assist classroom teachers in developing specific projects or curricula, focusing primarily on science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM), a press release said.

“One of UCOR’s primary objectives is to support and encourage education initiatives,” said Ken Rueter, UCOR president and project manager. “The UCOR Mini-Grant Program enables teachers to enhance their students’ educational experiences. Selected projects funded by our program give students a greater insight into the essential STEM subjects in fun and exciting ways.”

Applications were screened and awardees selected using a blind process that prevented members of the selection panel from knowing the names of the teachers or the schools. Schools in Roane, Anderson, Loudon, Knox, and Morgan counties were eligible to submit proposals. [Read more…]

Seven ORHS students among thousands at national scholastic chess championships

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Edward Moran

Oak Ridge High School freshman Edward Moran, left, bears down to win his last-round match against a senior from Maryland to clinch second place. (Submitted photo)

 

There were 1,585 high school category entrants among the 5,578 students from across the country competing in the 2017 USChess SuperNationals tournament, which was held May 12-14 at the Opryland Convention Center in Nashville. ORHS juniors Bronson Burdick, Andrew Chan, and Carson McGhee, as well as freshmen Justin Blanchard, Edward (“Bear”) Moran, Logan Ogle, and Mack Patrick were among them, joined by former world champion Garry Kasparov, who made the ceremonial first move.

The school’s top score was Bear Moran’s 6.5 of a possible 7 in the U800 category, which was a clear second overall behind only a junior from Florida who had the only perfect score of the 220 players in that division. The ORHS players overall had a winning percentage of more than 55 percentage against the top competition in the United States.

Each year, there are national competitions for elementary (K-6), junior high (K-9), and high school (K-12). Every four years, these championships are combined in one venue as “SuperNationals.” The organizers stated this was the largest chess tournament in history in terms of participants. [Read more…]

At this time, proposed ‘bare-bones’ schools budget does not ask city for more money

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Oak Ridge Schools presented its proposed budget for the fiscal year that starts July 1 to the Oak Ridge Board of Education on Tuesday, May 9, 2017.

Oak Ridge Schools presented its proposed budget for the fiscal year that starts July 1 to the Oak Ridge Board of Education on Tuesday, May 9, 2017.

 

A “bare-bones” budget proposed by Oak Ridge Schools on Tuesday does not, at this point, ask the City of Oak Ridge for more local funding.

The proposed budget includes step increases that would apply to those who are eligible, but it does not include pay raises. Roughly 59 percent of the staff would receive no increase, school officials said.

There are some new staff positions proposed, including a preschool teacher, a Navy Junior ROTC teacher, and a technology systems administrator. There are also some staff reductions due to enrollment, primarily two full-time equivalent teachers at Oak Ridge High School, reductions done through attrition.

“This is a pretty bare-bones budget,” Oak Ridge Schools Superintendent Bruce Borchers said Tuesday. It includes minimal new staff, and no major new initiatives. At this point, there is not enough money for raises, Borchers said.

The grand total of new investments has been proposed at $713,075: $355,201 for step increases and $357,784 for new staffing. [Read more…]

Stomp Out Tobacco 5k is May 20 at Grove Center

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The Third Annual Oak Ridge Schools Stomp Out Tobacco 5k is Saturday, May 20, starting at Grove Center.

The race is scheduled to start at 8 a.m. May 20, with registration in front of the Oak Ridge outdoor swimming pool at Robertsville Road/Randolph Road.

The race will benefit Oak Ridge Schools Coordinated School Health Program, and all the program to provide events such as the Turkey Trot free of charge to students. [Read more…]

Oak Ridge teams take top honors in FIRST Robotics World Festival

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Secret City Wildbots FRC Houston 10 April 22 2017 Agle

The Secret City Wildbots, Team 4265, were underdogs in the quarterfinals, but they survived to the semifinals where they lost to the number one seed in the First Robotics World Championship in Houston on Saturday, April 22, 2017. (Photo by Angi Agle)

 

From Wednesday to Saturday last week, the Master Builders (Team 3132) from Jefferson Middle School and the Secret City Wildbots (Team 4265) from Oak Ridge High School competed in the FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Robotics World Festival in Houston, Texas.

“We are pleased to announce that both teams experienced success in the World Festival,” Oak Ridge Schools said in a press release.

The Jefferson Middle School FIRST LEGO League team, the Master Builders, received trophies for the top awards in the world for first place in robot performance and second place in programming during the FIRST Robotics World Festival in Houston, Texas from April 19-22, 2017. (Submitted photo)

The Jefferson Middle School FIRST LEGO League team, the Master Builders, received trophies for the top awards in the world for first place in robot performance and second place in programming during the FIRST Robotics World Festival in Houston, Texas from April 19-22, 2017. (Submitted photo)

 

The FIRST LEGO League team, The Master Builders from Jefferson Middle School, received trophies for the top awards in the world for first place in robot performance, and second place in programming. There were 108 teams present for FIRST LEGO League at the World Festival from all over the globe, the press release said. [Read more…]

Cast your vote in ‘Dream It. Do It.’ middle school competition

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CLINTON—The videos are in, and it is now time to vote in Anderson County’s “Dream It. Do It.” middle school competition. The program is in its second year and has grown from four to six schools, including two from the Oak Ridge school system.

“Dream It. Do It.” is sponsored by the Anderson County Chamber of Commerce, Anderson County Schools, Oak Ridge Schools, and Consolidated Nuclear Security LLC, or CNS, the managing contractor at Y-12 National Security Complex. It is designed to bring student awareness of job opportunities in advanced manufacturing, a press release said.

Using GoPro cameras provided by CNS, six teams of eighth-graders were paired with area industries to create videos to tell the companies’ stories. These videos are then posted online for public voting. Each winning team member receives a GoPro camera, also provided by CNS.

This year’s participant teams included: Clinton Middle School and Aisin, Jefferson Middle School and Protomet, Lake City Middle School and Techmer PM, Norris Middle School and Eagle Bend, Norwood Middle School and Clayton Homes, and Robertsville Middle School and SL America. [Read more…]

Secret City Wildbots survived to semifinals before loss to No. 1 seed

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The Secret City Wildbots, Team 4265, were underdogs in the quarterfinals, but they survived to the semifinals where they lost to the number one seed in the First Robotics World Championship in Houston on Saturday, April 22, 2017. (Photo by Angi Agle)

The Secret City Wildbots, Team 4265, were underdogs in the quarterfinals, but they survived to the semifinals where they lost to the number one seed in the First Robotics World Championship in Houston on Saturday, April 22, 2017. (Photo by Angi Agle)

 

HOUSTON—The Secret City Wildbots were underdogs in the quarterfinals, but they survived to the semifinals where they lost to the number one seed in the First Robotics World Championship in Houston on Saturday.

Alliance member Team 3824, Hardin Valley RoHawkTics, suffered a drive train failure after the first semifinal round, and was replaced by backup Team 3140, Farragut Flagship.

“Despite a great performance, the alliance fell to the team led by Team 973, the Greybots of Atascadero, California,” Oak Ridge Board of Education member Angi Agle said.

“This is the first time, to my knowledge, that these three teams (Oak Ridge, Hardin Valley, and Farragut) have partnered on the same alliance,” Agle said. “Hopefully, this will open the door to increased collaboration in future years, embodying the FIRST spirit of ‘coopretition.'” [Read more…]