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--> --> Report `validates' school closure plan By Amber Fossen Ashland Daily Tidings A demographer's report solidifies the Ashland School Closure Committee's worst fear: shuttering one of the district's five elementary schools is inevitable. The report projected district enrollment figures to 2007, outlining a 15.5 percent enrollment decline in grades K-5, a 16.2 percent decline at Ashland Middle School and a 14.4 percent decline at Ashland High School for a total loss of approximately 480 students. Although several factors influence the district's enrollment - including the aging of Ashland's population, housing trends, inter-district transfers and home-schooling or private education - all areas contribute to decline, according to the report. "The demographer's report is validating that the school board needs to do something," said Kent Provost, School Closure Committee facilitator. Committee member Lori Freed agreed stating the demographer's report confirmed what many already suspected - enrollment is declining. Ashland School Board Chair John Maurer noted that the reality of the situation is that Ashland is changing. "The point is, as a district, we're not going to have all five schools any more. Our community is changed," Maurer said. The report reinforced the need to close a school. However, the closure committee plans to use, but not weight, the report as criteria. After receiving the long-awaited demographer's report, closure committee members grappled with how to share their progress with the community at large. "I feel very strongly that this committee is taking everything into account and I don't think the public knows," said committee member Daniel Cazares. Committee members initially discussed holding a public forum to quiet misconceptions either at AHS or at each elementary site where interested community members could attend to ask questions for clarification. Superintendent Juli Di Chiro asked the closure committee if they would be influenced in their decision by hearing public comment and suggested the committee opt to allow the public to attend a work session between the school board and the closure committee on Dec. 2. The work session would allow the community access to information but would prohibit any public comments or questions that could create a bias. Closure committee members decided to wait until the Dec. 2 work session to report findings to the district and public. In addition to reviewing the demographer's report, the closure committee accepted member Lyle Halprin's suggestion to alter the ranking order of which school to close. "Instead of ranking which school to close first, we should rank them by what gives us the most flexibility in the future," Halprin said. The next closure committee meeting will review Di Chiro's actual savings per site if closed report in addition to reviewing the seismic report with the possibility of Mike Broomfield, City of Ashland's building supervisor, attending to field seismic questions. The next meeting will begin at 7 p.m., Monday, Nov. 4 in the District Board Room located at 885 Siskiyou Blvd. Email your... Technical questions & comments to: WebMaster Daily Tidings editorial comments & questions to: Editor Visit our other Oregon Newspapers... | Albany Democrat-Herald | Ashland Daily Tidings | Corvallis Gazette-Times | | Lebanon Express | Newport News-Times | Springfield News | Cottage Grove Sentinel | Ashland Daily Tidings 1661 Siskiyou Blvd. Ashland, OR 97520 Telephone 541-482-3456 © Copyright 2001 Lee Northwest Publishing