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90-year-old Applegate School set for closure Move is party of district's $39.5 million fixup plan By VICKI GUARINO A portion of Applegate School will close permanently at the end of the school year. The 90-year-old brick building off Highway 238 is too unsafe to reopen in the fall, school officials say. The four classes using the building will move into portable classrooms. Plans for the school in rural, western Jackson County are part of a $39.5 million building and renovation proposal for the Three Rivers School District, a 17-school district serving much of rural Josephine County. Financing for the proposal goes to voters in May. The Three Rivers School Board authorized the bond measure Monday. "Fixing critical problems is beyond the capability of year-to-year general fund expenditures," said board member Bill Bonville. "The rubber bands holding some of our schools safely together are about to break." At the Applegate School, earthquake damage is the hazard, said Three Rivers financial manager Kathy Krouse. An engineer's report predicts the two-story building would collapse quickly in a moderate quake. Reinforcing for an earthquake isn't an option because of the way the building was constructed, Krouse said. Engineers told district officials they could spend $1 million on reinforcement, but that would only ensure the building's safe evacuation. "We would still have nothing but rubble," she said. The building is the district's oldest, completed in 1910. The next oldest school is in Williams. Although it was built only five years later, the construction style is completely different and doesn't pose an extreme earthquake hazard. The Williams School would get some reinforcing and other work if the bond measure passes. The bond proposal is the result of a three-year planning effort. About 60 parents and other district residents examined building needs throughout the district. Engineers recommended that several buildings be reinforced to assure students' safety. Every school building will be renovated for structural, mechanical, electrical and safety features including fire alarms, communication, lighting and ventilation. Three schools will be torn down and replaced with all-new construction -- Lorna Byrne Middle School, and Fruitdale and Selma elementary schools. Like the old section of the Applegate School, those buildings were deemed too costly to repair. The oldest classroom portions of Jerome Prairie and Fort Vannoy elementary schools also will be replaced. If voters approve the bond measure, it would establish an additional school tax of $1.39 per $1,000 assessed valuation. The owner of a $60,000 home would pay an additional $83.40 per year. The bond would be repaid over 20 years. This is the first bond measure to go to voters in 25 years, when the district built three new high schools. Although the proposed construction is dependent on passage of the bond measure, closure of the old section of Applegate School will occur regardless of the vote. Krouse said the board agreed to use other district funds to pay for the new classrooms if necessary. Other portions of the Applegate School were built in 1950 and 1980 and do not pose earthquake risks, Krouse said engineers concluded. Today's Edition : News | Sports | Business | Weather | Tempo | Classifieds Mail Tribune Copyright � The Mail Tribune 2000, Medford, Oregon USA