The Newport Chamber of Commerce membership annually chooses an Organization of the Year. This award recognizes organizations that have made an impact over the last year, stepping up to strengthen not only their organization, but the community as a whole. For 2019-2020, the winner of this award is the Lincoln County School District.

The Lincoln County School District is headquartered in Newport and serves 5,500 students from Kindergarten through 12th grade, with approximately 600 employees. The district serves Lincoln City, Newport, Toledo, Waldport, Siletz, and Eddyville, including 3 public charter schools and 11 regular schools. These include Taft High School, with an award-winning culinary arts program; Newport High School, an International Baccalaurate school; and Waldport High School which has been awarded as one of the best high schools in the US by US News and World Report Rankings.

The Lincoln County School District, led by District Superintendent Karen Gray, does an incredible job of serving its students. School can be challenging for many students, especially those whose families struggle financially, and for the over 1,000 students receiving services from the Homeless program. The Lincoln County School District goes above and beyond to reach and support these students to help them be successful.

This year, the district has had to overcome hurdles presented by Covid-19, including changing all instruction to distance learning. This was especially hard on students without internet access and those who rely on school for their meals. Through a Community Eligibility Provision, the Lincoln County School District offers all students breakfast and lunch at no charge. More than half qualify for the free lunch program by income, and at some schools, close to 80 percent are eligible.

The Lincoln County School District provided Wi-Fi solutions for the kids and families in need and distributed over 3,000 Chromebook laptops. They also provided meals to all children ages 1 through 18, with no need for income verification or other documentation. Buses delivered meals on normal routes throughout Lincoln County to distribute food to any family who needed them.

Thank you, Lincoln County School District, for your incredible acts of service to our community and the students and families in need. There are certainly more hurdles to overcome in the next year, but we are grateful for the teachers and administrators who have made Lincoln County a better place for our children and families.