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School boards will change Newcomers win, except in Medford By VICKI GUARINO School board election politics were a quiet matter in the county's largest district. Medford incumbents ran unopposed in Tuesday's balloting. But elsewhere, newcomers were voted into office on promises of change. Board members who will take office in July in Eagle Point and Rogue River say their communities will notice the differences. And in Central Point, where aging buildings have been a community concern for more than a year, the board election may prompt renewed action. In Central Point, surveyor Kerry Bradshaw won in a four-way race, beating former Mayor Rusty McGrath. Board member Cindy Tilley Faubion won re-election, according to a Jackson County Elections Office tally of roughly 98 percent of ballots cast. Later results are posted on the elections office Web site, www.co.jackson.or.us Last fall, while he was Central Point mayor, McGrath opposed a $36.7 million bond measure to rebuild and renovate schools in Central Point and Gold Hill. The bond measure was defeated and the board has held off on resubmitting a funding plan to voters. Superintendent Mike McClain said the board was waiting for this election to determine board makeup. In Eagle Point, a district noted for change and innovations in education may be changing more, soon. Two incumbents lost, including board chairwoman Cheryl Stout. Stout lost to Eagle Point businessman John Blanchard, whose wife teaches kindergarten at Glenn D. Hale School. Another challenger, retired business owner Douglas McKinley, unseated Dick Kendrick. Recently appointed board member Fred Thomas holds on to his position because challenger Randall Butler has not lived in the Eagle Point district long enough to serve on the board. Blanchard viewed the polling as a message that the community wants to see some changes in the district, which has given individual schools significant authority over programs and funding. Blanchard said he wasn't running on a set agenda, but a commitment to pay attention to parents and the community. "What I keep hearing is the board is not listening to the public." He said the district seems to need more direction from the board and administration. But Blanchard added, "There are a lot of good things going on in the district." In Rogue River, long and bitter negotiations with teachers seem to have played out in the balloting with two union opponents winning seats. Also, board chairman and lead board negotiator David Cunningham lost to Randy Jentzsch. Jentzsch's bid was supported by teachers. Incumbent John Myers, the town pharmacist, and Erin Artoff both won board seats promising to work together to make major changes in district administration. The third member of this slate of candidates was Jon Regnaud, who lost to Jentzsch. Myers was disappointed in Regnaud's defeat, but said he and Artoff would be part of at least a three-member majority on the board that would press through changes. "We're really have a bunch of plans," Myers said. "We feel like we have too much administration and administering too many teachers and too much maintenance that is not getting done." Mail Tribune Copyright � The Mail Tribune 1999, Medford, Oregon USA