Document text
School closure riles Rogue River By DAMIAN MANN ROGUE RIVER - Opposition to the possible closure of Evans Valley Elementary School mounts as residents wonder if any savings in combining two campuses would offset the damage done to students. More than 70 questions were submitted to the school district Tuesday asking about the possible affects of shutting down the Wimer campus in an effort to save money for the financially strapped school system. A petition opposing the closure, which so far contains 400 signatures, also will be submitted to the school board on Sept. 27. The district, worried about declining enrollment at Evans Valley, is studying whether there would be a significant savings if the 200-student campus were combined with the 286 students at Rogue River, about seven miles away. But voters last November approved a $5.3 million bond measure with the understanding that $750,000 of it would upgrade the 77-year-old campus. The school board has tabled any improvements on the school until a decision is made about its future. All sides appear to agree that if the savings amounted to roughly $400,000 to $500,000 annually, this might provide a compelling case to combine campuses. But if the savings amounted to $100,000 to $200,000, this might not be enough to convince the community that the benefits outweigh the detriment to Evans Valley students who consistently score higher than the state average on assessment tests. The school board has not established a precise dollar amount that would justify closure. School board member Johney Myers, who is preparing a fiscal impact report, agreed that the savings would have to be significant to justify closing the campus. Though Myers has some preliminary numbers on potential cost savings, he said he couldn't share them until they are presented at a public hearing. Myers, who has been the subject of sharp criticism by some community members, said he doesn't necessarily support shutting the campus down, but believes the district needs to look at ways of saving money. Michelle Wolf, new principal of both Evans Valley and Rogue River, said debate about school closure has been upsetting for the community. "The emotional casualty level is very high," she said. So far, Wolf doesn't see any good reason for shutting the school down. To the contrary, she believes it could hurt the education of children who go there. Last year, 100 percent of third-graders at Evans Valley met or exceeded the state's standards for reading. Though some districts - such as Medford - have 500 or more students in an elementary school, Wolf doesn't believe it would work in a small community such as Rogue River. "We are so thankful to have smaller classrooms, smaller schools and a rural feel," she said. The district received a $260,000 grant that will help augment classroom aid and reading and mathematics materials. Wolf is on a committee that is reviewing the possibility of closing Evans Valley and has helped compile the 70 questions posed to the district. Residents have wondered about everything from the impact on busing to the impact on sewers. Some want to know how much money the district would lose to parents who decide to home-school their children rather than bus them to a relatively large campus. If even 10 students were home-schooled, it could cost the district about $50,000 in lost revenue from the state. Until recently, residents have felt left out of the process of making such a monumental decision in their community, Wolf said. "People have felt not involved in the loop. They have not felt involved in the planning." Wolf agreed that a savings of $500,000 a year could be a compelling reason to study merging the two schools. Short of that, "I think that we would have to look at the kid impact and staff impact," she said. Wolf said enrollment is now at 200 students but should pick up after school starts. Last year, enrollment was 208 in September. Nancy Perryman, a Wimer resident and substitute teacher, said, "The town is very strongly behind keeping it open. We haven't seen sufficient evidence that we should close it." Perryman thinks it is regrettable that the school district and community have devoted so much time to this topic. "We are spending all this energy on not keeping it open, when we should be spending energy on making it work," she said. Reach reporter Damian Mann at 776-4476, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.