Superintendent Report

Superintendent Report: Eagle Point School District

February 26, 2026

Find the EPSD9 Community Newsletter HERE!

Classified Employees Week:
Don’t forget, March 2-6 is the time to recognize and appreciate the contributions of our classified staff such as custodians, bus drivers, and the instructional assistants who play vital roles in the success of Eagle Point's schools.

The EPSD9 School Board would like to be the first to thank our classified employees for their hard work at Eagle Point School District 9. Our schools would not function without them. Their time and dedication to our students, while rewarding, can be both challenging and time consuming. Thank you classified staff for your service!

Financial Update: 
The March Revenue Forecast was released February 4, 2026. Net General Fund and Lottery resources are up $286.5 million from the December Forecast meaning the projected $750 million General Fund deficit has dipped below $500 million, and could be lower as budget pictures become clearer.  

Additionally, Senate Bill 1507, “disconnecting” state taxes from the federal tax code this week, if passed into law, would net approximately $300 million in additional General Fund revenue for the 2025-27 biennium. As well there is no personal or corporate kicker projected in the 2027-29 biennium.

The Corporate Activity Tax (CAT), which funds the Student Success Act programs, has increased by $17.9 million since the December Forecast. The Legislature kept a $100 million CAT reserve for 2025-27, so projected collections are still in positive territory with estimates at around $80 million in reserve. Please note, as stated above, at the time the March forecast was released, there still remained a budget deficit of approximately $500 million for the state’s General Fund.
Here are some links for more information:

Office of Economic Analysis Presentation to the Revenue Committees 
Legislative Revenue Office Forecast Summary 

Superintendent Search:
After narrowing its search to three outstanding candidates, the District has selected Jim Helmen as its new superintendent for the upcoming school year.

Superintendent Helmen joins Eagle Point from Vernonia School District, where he has served as superintendent since 2022. He previously held various roles in school districts across Oregon, including teacher, special education director, and principal.

In addition to his educational leadership, Mr. Helmen has more than two decades of experience coaching middle and high school athletics.

Bargaining:
Teams representing the District and the local employee association (EPEA) have begun meeting to bargain changes to the collective bargaining agreement. The current contract will expire on the last day of June. Information on the progress of bargaining can be found here. 

Superintendent Advisory Committee:
The Superintendent Advisory Committee recently met. The committee’s focus has been on following and meeting the expectations outlined in HB2453 and SB732 and articulated under OAR 581-022-2307. The Committee includes the following members:

Kimberly Brewer
Liesel Culver
Julie Denton
Jen Patterson-Durham
Denise Hall
Lori Huntley
Matthew Kulow
Natasha Langley
Jazlynn Lavario
Shelley McCormick
Dean MacInnis
Justin Richardson

The committee’s most recent meeting focused on attendance data looking for patterns, areas of concern, and possible root causes. Several themes came out of our review.

First, chronic absenteeism is most common in grades 6–8 across most student groups. For high school students experiencing homelessness under McKinney-Vento protections, chronic absenteeism is the greatest concern. Behavior data does not show increased discipline issues within this group; attendance appears to be the main barrier.
Second, the committee discussed the need to better understand the connection between attendance and other supports, including special education services and outside therapy appointments. We recognized the importance of separating larger system-wide patterns from individual circumstances, and of looking at whether ongoing absence habits are developing over time.

Third, the conversation expanded to school culture, belonging, and mental health. Members discussed how a student’s sense of connection to school, bullying concerns, and broader cultural changes may affect attendance. We also acknowledged the need to review behavior data alongside recent legislative and policy changes to see whether measurable impacts can be identified.

Family and community engagement were also key parts of the discussion. The committee emphasized the importance of meeting families where they are, identifying barriers to participation, and adjusting outreach so communication is clear, accessible, and centered on students. Transportation and zoning logistics were also identified as possible factors contributing to attendance challenges and will be reviewed further.
Going forward the committee will be focusing on four areas:

1.   Refining and breaking down attendance data by grade level and student subgroup.
2.  Clarifying excused versus unexcused absence definitions and reviewing trends over time.
3.  Analyzing service use rates, especially for McKinney-Vento students.
4.  Reviewing the effectiveness of current programs, including Aspire and Eagle Center supports, before considering any expansion.

D9 Foundation:
EPSD9 community members and alumni are reminded that the D9 Foundation is a non-profit all volunteer organization dedicated to providing scholarships for every Eagle Point graduate. Fundraising is vitally important to keeping the scholarships coming to our students. If you are an Eagle Point alumni and are interested in joining this organization, please feel free to reach out to at d9foundation.com 

The Annual D9 Scholarship Dessert Fundraiser is scheduled for Tuesday, March 3rd from 6:00 to 7:30 in the Eagle Point High School Cafeteria. The theme is Trivia Night.