Dr. Tricia Mooney, Superintendent, Hermiston School District

I’m Tricia Mooney, superintendent of the Hermiston School District.

Yes, that’s correct. Hermiston is the largest district in Eastern Oregon. We serve around 5,500 students in a K–12 district. I mention that because, in other states, districts aren’t always K–12. What’s interesting about Oregon is that there are some large metropolitan districts with over 50,000 students, while other very small, remote districts serve as few as 10 students. So Oregon has a wide variety as far as the student population.

Out of approximately 197 districts, we ranked 26th last year by student population. Hermiston has experienced trends similar to national ones, like declining enrollment in public education for various reasons. However, we’re also seeing growth in students coming to us as second-language learners, especially those from Guatemala, as Hermiston is an agriculture-based community with a large migrant population.

Our demographics have changed significantly since 2010–2011, when we were about 60 percent white students and 40 percent Hispanic. Now, that ratio has flipped, and our Hispanic population is about 63 percent, making our white students the minority. This demographic shift has led us to explore ways to provide instruction in more practical, real-world ways to help students succeed and remain employable after leaving the K–12 setting.

One key factor is our robust career and technical education (CTE) program. We have six elementary schools serving Grades K–5, two middle schools for Grades 6–8, and one comprehensive high school for Grades 9–12. Our high school offers 11 different career pathways within six distinct program areas.

One unique program is our student home builders program, where students go through construction training and eventually, juniors and seniors work on building a home each year. They sell the home, and the proceeds fund the next year’s project. We recently sold our 11th student-built home, and we’re about to complete a cul-de-sac with our 12th. We’re also expanding into health services, where students can graduate with a phlebotomy certificate, and we offer an education career pathway as part of our “grow your own teachers” initiative.

These programs operate as businesses. For example, our high school has a coffee shop called “Java Dog,” where students fill various roles, such as an HR manager who handles training and scheduling. Students are learning employability skills, like the importance of showing up on time and fulfilling responsibilities. Our goal isn’t to turn all students into baristas but to instill essential business skills.

We also have other student-run businesses, like a screen-printing business called “Dog Prints” and a concessions program called “Boomers,” which manages concessions for school events. These hands-on experiences teach employability skills that students need in any career, especially post-pandemic, as they learn the value of being part of something bigger than themselves.

We teach them to follow through or show up when someone’s counting on them because what they do impacts the people around them. Developing these “give back” skills is essential, and it’s often the little things that turn into big things, making what we have in Hermiston unique.

We’re really focused on adapting to our shifting student demographics, helping them gain skills that will allow them to be employed locally after high school. Cultural differences mean family needs vary, so we strive to create opportunities for our students to have family-wage jobs when they finish K–12 if they choose not to pursue further education.

There was a time when we focused heavily on “college ready,” but now we emphasize “career ready.” While some careers, like becoming a heart surgeon, require college, many do not. We need people in all types of roles, so we’re building pathways to meet those needs. By collaborating with unions and labor organizations, we’re working on establishing pipelines to apprenticeships, enabling students to learn valuable skills right here in Hermiston. This approach allows students to retain the important cultural aspects of family while becoming self-sufficient and supporting others.

In a recent meeting, we discussed the idea of students leaving us “with care”—ready to care for themselves and others. We want them to care about their community, give back and consider global resources. Developing these care skills is about more than just self-sufficiency; it’s also about fostering empathy and responsibility for everything around them. These are the essential skills we believe our kids need.

A few years ago, we surveyed our staff, which is about 650 people, including teachers, custodial staff, maintenance and more. About 78 percent of staff responded, and we found that 63 percent had been Hermiston students at some point. This connection speaks to the strength of our community. Some students go out to gain experience and then return, while others stay.

We’ve invested in student support by adding social workers, nurses and counselors—one at every elementary school, two at each middle school and five at the high school. Our students face new and unique pressures, and technology, while beneficial, can also contribute to isolation. Mental health support is essential, so we’re expanding staff to help meet students’ basic needs and support their families.

Our kids need to know that not every day will be a great one. Sometimes, having a bad day is what helps you appreciate the good ones. But when a bad day does come, what skills can we give them to help them see that a better day is on the horizon? Mental health is a real and significant issue in today’s society, and feelings of isolation are common. That’s why we need to work on these coping skills. We can’t teach other skills if we’re not also supporting our kids’ basic needs and helping their families as well.

There’s a saying that it takes a village to raise a child, which resonates with what we all strive to do. Here in Hermiston, we also believe in supporting that village to ensure it has the strength and resources needed to uplift each child.

We work closely with the Cook Center for Human Connection out of Utah to provide mental health support, including a parent seminar series and individualized coaching. Parenting is different today, and we aim to support parents in their role, ensuring a holistic approach to student success. It truly takes a village to raise a child, and part of our mission is to support that village.

Hermiston is a great place to live, work and raise a family because people genuinely care about each other. Our community continually steps up for our students. As a district leader, I often think about how we can give back to our community. Partnerships thrive when there’s a mutual exchange, so we’re committed to supporting our parents and equipping our students with skills and opportunities, preparing them to contribute to the community.

My vision is to continue creating pathways and opportunities that address community needs. For example, we’re exploring partnerships to build a pipeline for health care workers, knowing our future doctors, nurses and other professionals are in our classrooms today. We want students to envision themselves in these roles, with clear paths to achieve them, growing the community as a whole.

Hermiston is a rural community with unique opportunities, and part of our responsibility is to embrace change. Technology brings change, and it’s our responsibility to ask how we can help students use the resources and knowledge they’re gaining to benefit their community and wherever they may go after they leave us.

At graduation, I always remind students that they can come home, no matter where they go. It’s about teaching them to contribute to society and preparing them for a better tomorrow. Beyond job-specific skills, we want to instill empathy and resilience, skills that will help them succeed in the workforce and in life.