The STEM of Biomass Fuel

Our school district is remote and rural serving 240 students in all grades K-12 drawn from an area of over 2000 square miles. Our greatest social issue is generational poverty and the lack of understanding of the value of education - especially higher education - that comes with poverty. Almost 70% of our families qualify for free or reduced meals in our school lunch program. Douglas County has the second highest rate of children in poverty among the 26 counties in the state. Douglas is ranked the 3rd least healthy county in all of Oregon.

After years of steady decline in the local economy, the Great Recession of 2008 dealt a severe blow to the local timber industry in which a majority of our families work. Unemployment in Douglas County has been among the highest levels nationwide. Only 12% of district residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher and most of them work for the school district.
The "communities" of Days Creek and Tiller consist of one school, one church, and one ma-and-pa grocery store in each locale.

Cell phone service is hit-or-miss at the high school campus and not available at all at the elementary school. Fiber optic lines do not extend to our school district though significant effort was made to acquire ARRA grant funds for improving our limited connectivity - to no avail. The few families who can afford the substantially higher cost subscribe to satellite services - but many students only have very slow dial-up connectivity at home and some have no connectivity at all. Their frustrations have created reluctance to engage in online coursework or other uses of computer technology.

With the exception of a National Forest Service ranger station, the two schools are the only public agencies in the district. There are no incorporated communities, no city governments, no parks and recreation divisions, no state or county agencies, and no public transportation. The nearest immediate medical care is 40 miles from the closest school. There are no after school programs other than what the schools provide and there are very few opportunities for student employment. Students at both district schools mourn the last day of school. They leave with long faces - some cry. Most of them will spend the summer in isolation from social, educational, and cultural activities - some are in families stressed by financial difficulties and/or substance addictions that lead to emotional and physical abuse of our children.

It is up to our two schools to broaden the horizons of our rural students and to provide an awareness of and a foundation for careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. As educators, we accept that responsibility with dedication and optimism. Along with the struggles of providing a quality education to students in a small, remote district, there are also advantages. We know each and everyone of our students very well. Change can happen quickly. A small amount of money can go a long way in a small system. Educators in our district passionately believe our rural kids deserve as many opportunities as any student in America for pursuing anything they dare to dream.

Our teachers go above 'above' and beyond 'beyond' to minimize the gaps between rural and urban opportunities. our schools are the communities in our district. We receive remarkable support from our patrons. Our parents trust school staff to care for their children as though we are family. We do and we are.