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School bond vote looks short By Vicki Guarino CENTRAL POINT � School district campaigners are spending the last few hours of today�s bond measure election collecting ballots and urging voters to participate. A crucial goal in the drive to rebuild ailing schools is to collect a sufficient number of ballots by today�s 8 p.m. deadline. For the $29.8 million measure to pass, at least 50 percent of the district�s registered voters must file ballots. Ballot drop-off sites Central Point Library, 226 E. Pine St.; hours are 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and 7 to 8:30 p.m. Monday and 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday. Eagle Point Library, 158 W. Main St.; hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday and 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday. Talent Library, 105 N. I St.; hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday and noon to 8 p.m. Tuesday. Elections office, 10 S. Oakdale, Medford; hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday and 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday. Two 24-hour drop sites at the Jackson County Courthouse: one located at the payment center window behind the courthouse, the other at a drive-up mail drop on Eighth Street. Ballots must be received no later than 8 p.m. Sept. 19 in order to be counted. The campaigners have a big job ahead of them. By mid-afternoon Monday, only 37.7 percent of ballots had been returned, the Jackson County Elections Office reported. Other measures on the special election ballot would rescind a controversial anti-smoking ordinance and allow the city to annex into districts for fire protection and sewer services. Despite the low rate of returns, school board member Cindy Tilley-Faubion was optimistic that the bond measure would pass on this, the third try. "I have faith in our community and their support of our kids and the schools," Faubion said Monday. "The community has always been very supportive, and this is the most important thing people can do to support kids.�� If the bond passes, a new property tax of $1.85 per $1,000 of assessed valuation would be set to repay the bond over 20 years. Bond campaigners are continuing to call voters in an effort to meet the turnout requirement. Two years ago, a bond measure won the majority of votes, but was defeated because the district was unable to draw at least half of its voters to the polls. In a second vote, when the turnout rule didn�t apply, the measure failed by 191 votes. If the measure fails again today, the Central Point School Board is expected to call an emergency meeting to put the bond measure back on the ballot in the November general election. The board will have until Thursday to authorize another vote in November. "It�s the only choice we can make," Faubion said. In the November vote, there will not be a turnout requirement, and the measure could pass with a simple majority of "yes" votes. The board could put the same measure back on the ballot in November, or perhaps ask for a lesser amount in a bid to persuade voters to pass it. However, Faubion said board members already have trimmed millions from the original school rebuilding plan, and brought the scope of the work down to what she believes is a minimum. "We did everything we possibly could to cut out anything that could be considered unnecessary by voters," she said. "I feel I couldn�t accept anything less than what we�re asking for." The bond money would be used on the following projects: Central Point Elementary, aging and deteriorating, would be replaced. The original, 1908 brick building would be renovated for administration offices, which in turn will provide space for expansion of Crater High School. Hanby Middle School, Gold Hill, also aging and too small, would be partly replaced; smaller buildings would be torn down for new classrooms, music room and cafeteria. Crater High School, where overcrowding has forced students onto waiting lists for required classes, would get 16 new classrooms, plus an auditorium and greenhouse. Mae Richardson Elementary, also overcrowded, would be enlarged and remodeled. Obituaries | Sports | Business | Classifieds | Tempo | Prime Times | So Oregon Sites | Outdoor Journal | Subscribe | Contact | Movies | Advertise | Real Estate Showcase | Archive | Editorials | Letters to the editor | Religion | Wake-up Call | NIE | Cyber Chef | Job Network | So Oregon Weather | WSJ Northwest | Forums | AP Wire | AP Money | F.A.Q. | Awards Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. The Community Newspaper Subsidiary of Dow Jones & Co, Inc Copyright �The Mail Tribune 2000, Medford, Oregon USA