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--> --> Panel forming on school closing By Amber Fossen Ashland Daily Tidings The Ashland School Board will appoint a committee to look into closing an elementary school by the 2003-04 school year. The district's $1.9 million budget shortfall has forced the board into the recommendation. "I really think it's something that requires careful study," Superintendent Juli Di Chiro said Monday evening. The board has debated in the past establishing such a committee. Concern over whether or not such action was necessary was finally squelched by board member John Maurer who stated that the board has already been told it needs to close a school. Currently the district has five elementary schools - Walker, Briscoe, Lincoln, Helman and Bellview. With the formation of the Committee to Study Closure of an Elementary School, one of these schools could be eliminated - and the decision to do so isn't far off, according to Di Chiro. "I think it would be important if we tried to get this committee established before the end of the school year," Di Chiro said. The new committee will study the viability and advisability of maintaining five small elementary schools. The committee will also be charged with establishing criteria such as student demographics, enrollment patterns, program considerations, fiscal impact and savings, facility considerations, commercial viability of school sites and community impact. These criteria would then be applied to schools when making future closure decisions. It will be up to the committee to decide what criteria will be used when making its recommendation. The decision to create school judging criteria did not move forward without some hesitation. "I worry a little bit about what we're asking the committee to do," said board member Chuck Keil. Keil raised concerns over the potential political pressure the new committee may face. When deciding to close a school, many people will have a stake in the outcome, he said. Despite Keil's concerns, the board chose not to hesitate on the matter. Di Chiro charged the board to come back with a subcommittee to weigh criteria for a school closure. She also asked members to consider applications for the committee and appoint a chair by the May 29 budget committee meeting. The district would like the committee to have a recommendation based on its studies no later than November. The board will take action on the committee's recommendation no later than December. 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