St. Helens Schools asks for feedback on corrective action plan as board faces calls for resignations
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — The St. Helens School District has announced it is seeking community feedback on a preliminary corrective action plan after a series of listening sessions were held following a sex abuse scandal involving school staff members.
The corrective action plan draft, released Thursday, comes after a school board meeting held the night before included parents calling for the resignation of board members. The board meeting was held virtually — instead of in person — after the school district said it received threats of doxing and "gun-related implications."
During the meeting, parents called into question recent leadership decisions, including that St. Helens School District Interim Superintendent Steven Webb would be closing out his term earlier than expected.
"We need to be able to trust you guys, to be able to bring in a good super. It's not necessarily the characteristics that I wish to see. Because we all know what characteristics we choose," one parent said during the meeting. "But what it really comes down to is who is in charge of the hiring and that's you guys."
The St. Helens School District has been plagued with scandal since a current and former teacher had been arrested on allegations of sex abuse in mid-November. St. Helens High School Principal Katy Wagner was also arrested for allegedly failing to report the abuse.
Several more staff members have joined the list of teachers and administrators under investigation for sexual misconduct or failing to report these crimes. Among those accused of failing to report was Scot Stockwell, the former St. Helens superintendent.
Since then, acting Superintendent Steven Webb has stepped forward to fill the role while the district recovers from the aftershock of these incidents. However, on Tuesday, Webb announced he would be leaving his role early.
Webb said his time at the district would end on Jan. 31, 2025 — more than a month earlier than the 90 days he had signed up for.
The St. Helens School District said the sudden departure is due to Webb having fulfilled his assigned duties, including: launching an internal investigation, hiring an acting high school principal, holding school listening sessions and developing a preliminary corrective action plan.
The district finally released that preliminary corrective action plan on Thursday. It includes plans to convene several community advisory councils related to the district, including creating one for students. Quarterly community listening sessions are also part of the plan.
The school district also plans to re-establish school resource officers with the St. Helens Police Department, arrange for monthly meetings with the chief of police and provide additional training to staff on mandatory reporting duties when it comes to sexual abuse claims brought to staff, among other measures.
St. Helens School District Director of Communications Stacey Mendoza released a letter to students, staff and families on Thursday, saying in part that the corrective action plan "underscores our commitment to fostering a safe, inclusive, and supportive environment."
The plan was formed from community input gathered during five listening sessions under the auspices of Interim Superintendent Webb, the summaries of which were also released by the district.
The school district said it is inviting the community to review the corrective action plan draft and share feedback before its finalized version is released.
"Your input will play a crucial role in shaping the final corrective action plan," Mendoza said.
The entire preliminary corrective action plan can be viewed below.
English:
Spanish:
Submit feedback via an online survey for the preliminary corrective action plan in English and Spanish via this link.
Once a new superintendent is hired, they will assume their role on Feb. 3 and stay on until the end of the school year, according to the district.