Superintendent Message
January 2025 Update
Dear South Umpqua School District Families,
Welcome to 2025! I am hopeful that you were able to spend some additional time with family over the past few weeks. One of the many reasons I so love being in education is I feel as though I have two opportunities to usher in a new year – once in September and again in January! The year ahead is looking bright for South Umpqua. We are excited to announce that we will be unveiling our strategic plan in February. This plan has been developed with invaluable feedback from our community, students, and educators gathered through both in-person meetings and online surveys. Your voices matter, and we appreciate everyone who contributed to this important process. As we chart a five-year pathway to unlock every students unlimited potential, I am grateful for your partnership and support from this tremendous community.
January is also School Board Appreciation Month! Please join me in thanking our volunteer school board for their dedication and service. They each play a vital role in shaping the educational experiences of our students, and we are thankful for their unwavering commitment. We have a seven-person board, and they each dedicate countless hours guiding us to meet our mission of unlocking the potential in every student. Next time you run into one of the following Board Members, give them a thank you!
- David Stevens
- Randy Richardson
- Dr. Anandita Tiwari
- Quinn Pickering
- Bill Hill
- Kellyn Goodwin
- Jeff Johnson
As we enter the new year, I want to remind everyone of the importance of regular school attendance. Let’s make it a New Year’s resolution to prioritize consistent attendance, as it significantly impacts our students’ success, sense of belonging, and learning experiences! We want every student to be a regular attender, which is defined as attending school at least 90% of the time. Days missed for any reason add up fast. Thank you for your partnership in this effort!
Thank you for your ongoing partnership in learning! Looking forward to an awesome 2025 for the South Umpqua School District.
In Community,
Erika Bare
South Umpqua School District Superintendent