Athena-Weston SD 29RJ

The Athena-Weston School District is a small, rural school district in Eastern Oregon. The towns of Athena and Weston lie at the foothills of the Blue Mountains between Walla Walla, Washington and Pendleton, Oregon. Wheat and pea farming, as well as canneries provide many of the jobs in the area. Parents of the students work in agriculture or they commute to Pendleton or Walla Walla for various other employment opportunities. Many students work in jobs related to agriculture during the summer months and are not employed during the school year. The student population is stable with an ethnic population of 80% Caucasian, 9% Native American, 6% Hispanic, 1% Asian, and 1% African American. The percent of students receiving free or reduced lunches has increased from 30 to 42% over the last six years. Overall student population is remaining stable at around 600 students. The Athena-Weston staff includes 38 full-time teachers and two part-time teachers. Twenty-nine percent of the teachers have a master's degree. Years of teaching experience range from 1 to 30+ years. The three administrators all have master's degrees with a range of 25 to 104 additional quarter hours beyond their master's degree. Administrative experience ranges from one to 30 years.