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Classes to obtain GED set to begin Prospect, Butte Falls, Shady Cove to benefit By VICKI GUARINO For rural Jackson County residents who left school before graduating, a new educational opportunity awaits. Free GED (General Equivalency Diploma) classes could begin in Prospect, Butte Falls and Shady Cove as quickly as a few weeks. The only hitch is that at least 10 residents must sign up for the program to start. "We'd like to start no later than April, but as soon as we get 10 people, I will work out a schedule," says organizer Rick Foertsch of Upper Rogue Area Training & Education. "We're set to go." The program is the first of its kind for the region. Residents have had to drive 20 miles or more to Rogue Community College classes in White City. Foertsch suspects that the miles have prevented residents in northeastern Jackson County from taking advantage of other free GED programs. "I really think distance is a hindrance for people in Butte Falls, Prospect and Shady Cove," Foertsch says. An informational meeting about the program is scheduled from 4 to 8 p.m. today at the Butte Falls Community Hall. Other meetings in Prospect and Shady Cove will be scheduled in coming weeks. The program is intended for everyone from adults who dropped out of school years ago and for teenagers who left just last week. It's an offshoot of a new alternative high school program that opened at the beginning of the year. It's operated by Upper Rogue Area Training & Education, a non-profit organization operating under contract with the Eagle Point and Prospect school districts. URATE is based at the Veterans Affairs Domiciliary in White City.The planned GED program would catch the many students and former students who are not served by the alternative school. Foertsch says the GED effort grew from an assessment of residents' educational needs and a survey of employers. In the survey, taken three years ago, area employers complained that the work force lacked basic communication and math skills and a reliable work ethic. URATE will offer the GED program in cooperation with RCC, which will provide the instructors. Additional information about the program is available from URATE, located in RCC's Workforce Training Center at the Dom, 245-7905. Mail Tribune Copyright � The Mail Tribune 2000, Medford, Oregon USA