Hermiston School District might return to IMESD

HERMISTON – Hermiston School Superintendent Tricia Mooney says it may be time to return to the InterMountain Education Service District (IMESD).

Education service districts (ESDs) provide numerous services to school districts that they might otherwise not be able to afford. In 2013, Oregon allowed school districts to opt out of ESDs and provide those services themselves. The service districts then pay those breakaway districts 90 percent of the cost for those services.

The Hermiston School District (HSD) chose to opt out of IMESD in 2015. Mooney did not work for the district then. She said at the time it made sense for a couple of reasons. First, there was only the state school fund to provide money for K-12 education. Also, at that time, HSD was growing.  Now, there are several funding paths with monies dedicated to set outcomes. In addition, enrollment in Hermiston schools is shrinking.

“When we look at where we are with regard to the state school fund and enrollment, it really doesn’t make sense for Hermiston anymore to be out of the ESD,” she said.

She added that Hermiston has maintained close ties with IMESD,

Mooney reported on the status of the opt out at this month’s Hermiston Board of Education meeting. She said the board could take action on the question as to whether the time is right to opt back into IMESD. She said if they do, the staff employed to deliver ESD services would transfer to working for InterMountain instead of the local district.

File photo of Superintendent Mooney

---

• 
• 
• 

---

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

---

Elkhorn Media Group