News

Wildfires around the state have affected air quality in our region. Conditions are not expected to improve this week, and the National Weather Service has issued an Air Quality alert through Friday.

We are watching for air quality updates and will announce any changes to school activities and programs based on recommendations from the Oregon Health Authority guidelines for outdoor activities and the Oregon School Activities Association.

Decisions on school closures will be made in consultation with the Linn County Health Department.

If you have questions, check with your school. Find more information:

• Real Time Air Quality Index: Check this site to determine the current index rating for Albany. If the rating is Very Unhealthy, schools will follow the recommendation to “Keep all students indoors.  Move all activities indoors. Limit all students to light activities. Increase rest periods and make substitutions.”  Please reference this document for each rating.
• Public Health Guidance for School Outdoor Activities During Wildfire Events
• Español
• OSAA smoke memo: Sport team practices are governed by OSAA who provide daily heat and air quality directives to our schools.

Today was the first day of school for students in grades 1-6, grade 9 and all students at Timber Ridge. Students in grades 7-8 and 10-12 will return tomorrow.

To welcome elementary students back to school, South Albany High School varsity boys soccer, volleyball, and cheer team members went to Oak Elementary and welcomed back students.

Read more in the Democrat-Herald.

Tuesday, Sept. 5, is the first day of school for students in Greater Albany schools, and about a third of them travel there by school bus.

Last year, GAPS yellow buses traveled more than 959,000 miles, carrying a daily average of 3,600 kids each way on 37 general education routes and 18 special education routes. That number doesn’t include field trips and transportation for school activities, which totaled an estimated 50,000 miles in 1,256 trips.

It’s a large transportation system that requires careful planning to make the buses run on time.

This year, extra attention and planning was needed to adjust schedules for efficiency for the new bell time system. Each bus covers three routes for morning and afternoon runs. Combined with a finite number of buses and drivers, the routes have to be exact to ensure best coverage of our geographically large district.

Watch for our buses this Tuesday and please be extra attentive in the mornings and afternoons when you see them on the roads. District bus drivers would like to remind drivers to slow down and watch for kids as they walk to or from the bus.

Transportation resources for parents include:

• Bus route finder
• School start and stop times
• Bus number illustration

Thank you, GAPS bus drivers!

Schools are welcoming parents back with start-of-school events. Check the list for dates and times at your neighborhood school.

The Salem Keizer Volcanoes baseball team asked school districts and community leaders in the Mid-Willamette Valley to nominate Hometown Heroes. GAPS nominated former school resource officers John Trantham and Jorge Salang.

Officer Trantham was unable to attend due to his work schedule, but Officer Salang participated. The Volcanoes selected 24 people from the many nominations they received.

The Hometown Heroes assembled on the field and were introduced to the audience. As each person walked to the infield and shook hands with a representative of the team, the announcer read each person’s bio and their name was posted on the scoreboard.

Congratulations and thank you, Officers Salang and Trantham!

Pictured are (from left): Officer Salang, his wife and his daughter; Officer Salang shaking hands on the field with the team representative Jerry Howard; and Officer Salang on the field with his name featured on the scoreboard behind him.