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--> --> School closure delayed By Amber Fossen Ashland Daily Tidings The Ashland School Board extended the timeline to determine which of the district's five elementary schools to close. The board approved the motion Monday night, citing the time required by the School Closure Committee and district staff, the uncertainty of legislative action, and the potential harm to the community. "It could leave wounds that we could avoid if we take more time," Superintendent Juli Di Chiro said while recommending an extension to the timeline. The board approved the motion 4-to-1, with member Chuck Keil dissenting. "I think it's best for the community to move forward and be prepared to close a school," Keil said. Board member and ad-hoc closure committee member John Maurer disagreed stating that the board should back off the fast-track for the good of the community. Board member Terry Littleton added that the committee won't be able to collect sufficient data, specifically up-to-date demographics, which won't be available until the fall. The approved decision to change the timeline will delay the closure committee's fast-track process significantly. The committee now will have through June to set criteria, July and August to collect data, September to review the data collected, and October to hold community forums before making a decision in November for the board to review and vote upon in December. The closure committee was originally appointed May 29 with a motion to fast-track the committee's decision on which school to close, if any, by June 25. The 11-member committee, which gathered three times last week to begin addressing the task, is currently composed of seven site council representatives, a community business member, a community member, facilitators Kent Provost and Sue Graham, and a representative from both the classified and certified unions. Ad-hoc members include board representatives John Maurer and Loren Luman in addition to Ashland Mayor Alan DeBoer. Community members in attendance supported the school board's efforts thus far and the decision to delay the closure committee's recommendation. "This will shore up any cracks in the solidarity of this community to continue working toward a decision," community member Craig Gorson said in a letter addressed to the committee and board. "It will certainly show the community that it is only the state that is fouling things up here and betraying the educational system, and thereby its citizens." Along with the board's reevaluation of the charge to the closure committee, the board and audience members were debriefed on legislative standings by state representative Alan Bates, D-Ashland, reaffirming the district's need to take action. "There is no agreement on how to fix the revenue shortfall," Bates said. "Right now, we've cut the K-12 budget by $275 million (statewide). So far, some ideas for tackling the state's $880 million budget shortfall include: using the $82 million tobacco settlement; disconnecting the federal stimulus package which offers a tax break to businesses; taking $10 million from money set aside to improve and digitalize 9-1-1 services; present a measure similar to Measure 13 to borrow money from the Endowment Fund; reduce government spending; or enact a bracketed tax increase on incomes above $50,000. "The battle is can we come to an agreement on this, and I don't think we can," Bates said. A special session is scheduled for Wednesday to discuss how to tackle the state's budget shortfall. 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