George Fisher and Connie Kennedy were found most often in the Hood River District School Board Minutes and Hood River News articles with the Charter School process in Cascade Locks. Bob Dunton was mentioned as one of their consultants. Select here for details on how the CLCS was denied by the Hood River School District and the State of Oregon. ( The Cascade Locks Charter School ( CLCS ) web site has been “disabled”and so was the Cascade Locks Charter School ( CLCS ) Facebook page can be found at this link. )
George and Connie presented to the Corbett School Board in November of 2011 about redistricting with the Corbett School District. You can read a recap of their visit to the Corbett School Board in November here. You can also select this link for the MERGER information that was proposed.
A brief history on the CLCS
CLCS applies for a Charter School with HRCSD and is denied, twice
The Cascade Locks Community Charter School made initial application to the Hood River County School District Board for sponsorship on March 8, 2010. Bob Dunton is mentioned as one of their consultants in the Hood River School District Board Minutes of April 2010. Sheri Dunton was also in attendance according to the minutes. The Hood River County School District Board denied the application on May 26, 2010. The Cascade Locks Community Charter School developers submitted a remediated proposal on September 7, 2010 and were denied sponsorship again by the Hood River County School District Board on September 27, 2010.
CLCS applies to the state for sponsorship for their Charter – and is denied
The Cascade Locks Community Charter School developers submitted a request for sponsorship to the state for their Charter in October of 2010. On December 10, 2010 the State Board of Education review panel ( which consisted of internal and external reviews with expertise in curriculum, school finance, governance and innovative learning models ) found that THE CASCADE LOCKS CHARTER SCHOOL did not meet the criteria established in ORS 338.055(2). See here for the specific criteria they were refused on.
Cascade Locks Charter school committee files complaint against school board
July 12, 2011: The following are minutes from a June 16, 2011 meeting on the Cascade Locks Charter school between charter committee president George Fischer, charter school consultant Connie Kennedy-Buttaccio, charter committee vice president Mayra Walker, Hood River County School district board chair Liz Whitmore, and Hood River County schools superintendent Charlie Beck. They were forwarded to the News by Kennedy-Buttaccio.
George Fischer and Connie Kennedy
Listed as the President of the CLCS, Mr. Fischer was also the Mayor of Cascade Locks for a short time before he was recalled in September of 2011. There are several articles from the Hood River News on this.
Both George and Connie have filed a complaint against the Hood River School Board for their handling of the rejection of the Cascade Locks Charter School. Connie Kennedy, a resident of Hood River, was the past Superintendent of the Nestucca Valley School District. Of interest are some of the articles below regarding Connie as Superintendent in Tillamook County.
3/2008
Kennedy Selected as superintendent of Nestucca Valley School District
Link to article
9/2008
Kennedy invites Bob Dunton of Corbett School District to speak regarding saving money during a budget crisis
Link to article
6/2009
Appalled at Cold Approach ( In response to a Kennedy firing of a teacher )
Link to article
10/2009
Kennedy a bad actor ( In regards to a complain Kennedy filed against a school board member )
Link to article
10/2009
School Board member resigns due to complaint filed by Kennedy
Link to article
“ Most of the nearly 50 parents and community residents at the meeting seemed to support Bryson ( The School Board member that resigned ) …. “We have a superintendent (earning) $120,000 a year and we have to put up with this?”
1/2011
Announcement on Kennedy retiring
Link to Article
