Oregon school s COVID-19 closure sparks criticism against Gov. Kate Brown
Andrew Selsky and Sara Cline
Associated Press
SALEM A high school in a remote Oregon town ordered a halt to in-person classes Friday after eight people there tested positive for COVID-19, and Republican lawmakers accused the Democratic governor of prioritizing urban over rural residents for vaccine distribution.
The development in the high school in Vale, a town of 2,000 residents in Eastern Oregon, comes as Gov. Kate Brown has faced criticism over prioritizing educators over senior citizens for vaccine eligibility in her effort to get schools across the state to reopen. All teachers became eligible to receive scarce vaccines on Monday, even though eligible health care workers, who were prioritized first, haven t all been vaccinated yet.
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School district graduation rate is best since 2008
Rates are higher in school districts throughout Oregon, although some lawmakers question validity of data
Crook County School District graduation rates are the highest in more than a decade, according to results recently released by Oregon Department of Education.
The district posted a district-wide graduation rate of 80%, its highest since 2008, and an 8% increase over 2019 s graduation rate of 72%. The district-wide graduation rate is a combination of rates among Crook County High School and the alternative schools of Pioneer, Rimrock and COIC. The CCHS graduation rate of 91% is consistent with outcomes since 2016, district leaders said.
SALEM â For the opening day of the legislative session, it was eerily quiet at the Oregon Capitol Thursday.
The rotunda, usually filled with elected officials and their staff, interested members of the public and busloads of schoolchildren, was nearly silent due to COVID-19 restrictions and a highly visible security force on hand to quell possible violent protests â although only about a half-dozen flag-waving protesters showed up.
Sheets of plywood covered the windows on the first floor of the building, and fencing and large concrete barriers lined the north sidewalk. Numerous state troopers â some with dogs â were present, and at least a dozen members of the Oregon National Guard were stationed throughout the building.