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School Board to vote on Briscoe site By Amber Fossen Ashland Daily Tidings Ashland School Board members are scheduled to vote on a lease agreement for a portion of the Briscoe Elementary site. Negotiations between the Oregon Child Development Coalition's Migrant Head Start program and the Ashland School District could allow the now-vacant Briscoe site to once again house young students. Board members will meet Monday night to decide whether to approve the agreement. "We're in that sort of holding pattern," OCDC Migrant Head Start Director Adrienne Graham said. "We've got everything ready to run if it all goes smoothly." Graham said the program has extended its lease in Medford through August in case of any set backs. The program currently rents space from two Medford churches after being a home-based care providing program for 20 years. "All the other counties throughout the state have center-based programs," she said, adding the Migrant Head Start program is established in 11 counties. The OCDC is interested in leasing a total of six classrooms that would be used to serve children of the migrant agricultural families in addition to providing space for staff offices. The program is designed to help prepare and integrate migrant students for their school careers, according to Graham. "We follow the peak of the migrant worker season by operating from the end of July to mid-December," she said. Graham said - upon approval for the lease - some welcoming events would be planned to familiarize the community with the program. The OCDC would like to open the site for half-day class sessions Aug. 14-15. Full sessions would begin as early as Aug. 18. ASD Business Manager Loren Luman said a lease amount has yet to be determined. The district is pursuing a three to five year lease. District officials said they are continuing to explore a possible lease agreement with the Oregon Shakespeare Festival but no action will be taken Monday night. In other business, the board will: o hear reports; o vote to approve English language learner program handbook; o and review curriculum professional development and the first reading of board policy revisions. The meeting will begin at 7:30 p.m., Monday, in the Ashland Council Chambers. It will be broadcast on Rogue Valley Community Television. The next regular session will be held at 7:30 p.m., Monday, Aug. 11 in the Ashland Council Chambers. The board will hold a work session from noon to 5 p.m., Monday, Aug. 25 to meet with district administrators and review board goals. The location of the meeting has not been determined. LINKS: DAILY TIDINGS: Main | News | Sports | Obituaries | Opinion | Columnists | AP News | Subscribe | Archives | Weather | Classifieds | Contact Us | Privacy REVELS: Main | Calendar | Dining | Movies | T.V. OTHER: Road Cams Copyright 2003 Ashland Daily Tidings 541.482.3456. 1661 Siskiyou Blvd., Ashland, OR 97520. Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. - Advertisers -