Stone has big plans for Days Creek

Daye Stone is still unpacking boxes in the superintendent’s office at Days Creek Charter School.

The 1989 Days Creek graduate and cattle rancher is where he wants to be. The complete circle included stops in Montana for college football, around Southern Oregon as an English teacher, principal, and prior to being hired at Days Creek, superintendent at Prospect Charter School.

A photo of his children covers one wall. An urn labeled “ashes of problem students” sits near a candy jar for students who visit his office. A cattle farm playset sits atop a cabinet.

At age 55, Stone said this is his final stop.

“I wanted to come back and give to the community,” Stone said. “Looking back, [my time here] was a special time in my life. An opportunity came up with timing. I’d spent four years at Prospect, the position opened up and I went for it.”

Stone, his sister, both his parents, and his grandma all graduated from DCCS, and his grandpa was a board member. After his grandparents sold their land, Stone moved away to pursue his life goals,

Stone received his secondary education at the University of Montana-Western, where he played football. Team photos of conference championship teams he was part of also adorn his office wall.

Stone has taught English and Health/PE before he became an administrator.

“I’ve worked with some amazing people,” he said. “Through those experiences I’ve drawn a lot of ideas. I’d like to use those skills that I’ve learned.”

Stone has listed a goal to grow and support the others in the school and the school itself.

He also said he would use the skills he learned to make this school “not good but great”. He wants the school to be great before he ends up retiring. He said he wants about 5 years.

“I believe that things happen for a reason and that God places pathways in front of you,” Stone said. “My heart was not in Riddle, or at the Ford Family Foundation, or at the Douglas ESD. My heart was in Days Creek. I applied, got the job, and here I am.”

Stone has been hoping to build a strong, tight-knit community here at the school. He is passionate about the well-being and pride of Days Creek students. He himself is very proud to be from this community. He indicated wanting to make other Days Creek alumni proud to be part of such a small school.

“When students here walk across that stage at graduation, they blaze a trail,” he said. “I want students to be proud of what they’ve done here.”

Stone has already implemented a leadership class as well as a class for graduation preparations, creating opportunities for students to shine academically. Stone has been here for 7 months and has already expressed even more great plans for the future.

Stone has plans for sports and the facilities.

“I’m frustrated by some of our facilities,” Stone said. “And that middle school volleyball players have to come here at 6:30 a.m. Or that our football field doesn’t have lights … And an all-weather track. Those are some things that the board has charged me to address.”

He likes the school, but he has a desire to change and make the school great and a better place. He wants to make the school and the people at Days Creek be successful, and to feel at home at Days Creek. He wants to make Days Creek a place where people want to come everyday and actually want to be there.

He sees a list of opportunities and goals for making this school great and educational. With all the time he plans to be with this school he plans on filling it with deep care and plans on using that time to express his educated knowledge and full past to the max.

“I want to move the school from good to great,” he said. “I want this place to be a destination for families. It’s a deeply personal quest for me. I want it to be the most amazing school in Southern Oregon.”

Stone has big plans for Days Creek

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