Superintendent Vince Swagerty has served students since 1985 as a teacher, principal, and superintendent.  He graduated from Thurston High School in Springfield, Oregon and then earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Oregon in 1985 and his master’s degree from Portland State University in 2000.  He returns to the North Bend School District having served as the North Bend Middle School principal from 2007-2009.  Most recently, he led the Mitchell School District in eastern Oregon for five years from 2018-2023.  His wife, Valerie, is a long-time school employee serving as an educational assistant for most of her career and then as an administrative assistant in Mitchell.  His daughter, Melissa, is a 2009 North Bend graduate who currently is an educational assistant in the Wilsonville High School special education department.  His son, Matthew, recently finished his Speech Pathology program at Idaho State University and completing his clinical fellowship to obtain his Speech Pathology CCC.

Please call the North Bend District office at (541) 756-2521 or email mbrix@nbend.k12.or.us to setup a meeting.

Superintendent Report

April 2025

State Testing

Now that we are back from Spring Break, Oregon State testing is now in full swing.  Each building has a testing schedule that was created with input from the buildings and district staff.  As is the case each year, students will be tested in English/Language Arts, Math, and Science.  Initial reports indicate that we have fewer students opting out this year than last year.

Budget Meetings

Assistant Superintendent Tim Crider and his team are in the process of building the budget for the 2025-2026 school year.  It looks like the Oregon Legislature and the Governor agree that K-12 education will receive approximately 11.4 billion dollars for the upcoming biennium.  Hopefully there will be additional funding connected to an increase in the special education cap of 11% if indeed the legislature supports that bill.  Our first budget committee meeting is May 8, 2025.

Federal Government

We are continuing to receive guidance from our partners at the Oregon Department of Education (ODE), the Coalition of School Administrators (COSA), and the Oregon School Board Association (OSBA) regarding changes and potential changes in Oregon as a result of the actions taking place at the federal level.  We are still not clear about the impact of the mass layoffs at the Department of Education.  Currently, most Title funding is safe but we know that the stability of those funds will be uncertain as the administration builds the next federal budget.

Administration Staffing

We are excited about the athletic director interviews we will be conducting on April 10th.  We hope to have the successful candidate identified and vetted by the end of April so we can have some transition time with retiring AD Mike Forrester.  Our middle school and high school principal positions are both officially open and we look forward to excellent candidates to fill each of these positions as well.

Bargaining

The contract bargaining process continues with the certified bargaining unit.  We really appreciate the opportunity to have collegial bargaining and our discussions have been fruitful.  Eva Varga is doing an excellent job of leading their team and we enjoy working with them.

Spring is Here

Now that Spring has officially arrived, we are on the fast track to the end of the school year.  April 25th is the only day this month in which we do not have students.  There are a lot of opportunities to see outdoor sports as well as a couple of emerging sports.  Flag football and boys volleyball are two emerging sports sponsored by the OSAA and we are fortunate to have teams in both sports.  I am looking forward to seeing our athletes compete in our two new sports.

Navigating a successful course for every student, every day, every way
1913 MEADE STREET • NORTH BEND. OREGON 97459-3432
Phone: (541) 756-2521 • Fax: (541) 756-1313
Superintendent Vince Swagerty