Greetings Hood River County School District Families,

Welcome to a new school year! It really is our privilege to work in partnership with you on behalf of your children’s academic and social success. Together, we can ensure that your children get the most out of the excellent educational experiences planned for the upcoming school year and that they are prepared for the world awaiting them after high school graduation. Thank you for putting your trust in our dedicated educators.

The first day of school (September 4th) is quickly approaching and your children will soon be stepping onto their school campuses. Thanks to the incredibly generous support of our Hood River County community, you will see sizeable facility improvements across our schools: from the less obvious, but incredibly important maintenance improvements (e.g., roofing, heating/cooling, seismic, plumbing, etc.), to highly visible changes like the new media center and additional classrooms at Mid Valley, renovations to HRVHS’s theater, parking and sports fields, Parkdale’s playground installation, and the preservation of the historic Nathaniel Coe Primary School (where the new Hood River Options Academy will join the district office campus to alleviate crowding at HRVHS).

We’ve also been working hard this summer to expand our classroom technology initiative to additional schools. Your children will graduate into a highly connected, technological world and contend for jobs requiring an extraordinary level of digital fluency. Equity and opportunity in digital access, delivering a flexible and personalized curriculum, and engaging our students in collaborative, meaningful work are central elements in preparing your children for the increasingly integrated world of tomorrow.

Changing gears, we are unequivocally committed to your children’s safety. Our multi-tiered safety program - focused on prevention and relationships in tandem with strong partnerships and consistent preparations with law enforcement and first responders - has been recognized as a model program in Oregon. Additionally, at Mid Valley, Wy’east, and HRVHS you will see revamped school entrances to better control access to our schools. Similar improvements are forthcoming for Westside, Parkdale, Pine Grove, May Street and Cascade Locks. These advancements are in addition to significant investments in communication, surveillance and access control infrastructure at all our schools.

Above all else, our truly devoted staff are focused on each child’s well-being and positive academic and social growth. We have one overarching, ambitious goal - Every student graduates with the knowledge and courage to learn, serve, and pursue their dreams - and we’ve been making steady progress through the actualization of the high-leverage, research-based strategies outlined in the enclosed “20/20 Vision.” I urge you to read through this comprehensive plan and visit our webpage at https://www.hoodriver.k12.or.us/Domain/5 to review our progress; I know you’ll be encouraged by our commitment to improvement and our focus on your child’s success.

Clearly these are exciting times to be a young learner in our school district. I urge you to be as involved as possible in the many beginning-of-the-year activities at your school that are designed to engage you - the primary educator of your child - as a partner in the formal learning process. Please check the calendar of events posted on your school’s website for ways to get involved.

The new school year often brings with it a renewed sense of possibility, excitement and wonder. I’m honored to welcome you and your children back to school. We’re looking forward to another great year with you!

My best- 

Dan Goldman | Superintendent
Hood River County School District
Excellence. Every student. Every day.