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Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend October 12, 2005 Ashland town hall gathering to tackle reclassification By JOE ZAVALA for the Mail Tribune ASHLAND — Sports fans who want Ashland High to remain in the same classification as the Southern Oregon Conference giants — North Medford, South Medford, Roseburg and Grants Pass — will have one last chance to explain why in an unprecedented town hall meeting tonight. The open microphone discussion is scheduled to start at 7 in the school's commons area. Ashland High athletic director Karl Kemper and principal Jeff Schlecht will be on hand to both speak and listen. Kemper and Schlecht will review the reclassification plan at the start of the meeting, ask coaches to speak, then, as Kemper puts it, "It's going to be the Phil Donahue show." "We have a wireless mic so people don't feel like they have to come up and give a big speech at the podium in front of people," Kemper says. "People will get a chance to speak and be heard, and we'll consider things that are said and just have a healthy discussion about the issue." Advertisement The Oregon School Activities Association will vote on Oct. 24 whether to restructure its current four-class system into six classes. Under the current proposal, Ashland would go from being a Class 4A school, currently the highest division in the state, to being a Class 5A school, the second-highest level. While the deadline to petition to move up a class under the new proposal has technically passed, Ashland High may still make that request. Schools are classified based on average daily membership. Currently, Ashland's ADM (1,084 students) ranks No. 7 in the eight-school Southern Oregon Conference. Under the new proposal, Ashland would be in the middle of the pack in a five-school conference that would also include Crater (1,429), Eagle Point (1,143), Klamath Union (939) and Mazama (906). If Ashland requests to play up and that request is granted, it will continue to compete against the biggest schools in the current SOC and possibly South Eugene and Sheldon. The SOC's largest school, Roseburg, has an ADM of 1,979, making it the fifth largest school in the state. "What some parents have said to me is that, 'Maybe there are some things that you haven't considered, some angles you haven't looked at, some things you haven't thought of,' so that's what we're looking at," Kemper says. "Is there some angle or twist or different way of looking at things that would influence us to go one way or the other?" If so, they’ll find out tonight. Joe Zavala is sports editor of the Ashland Daily Tidings. Reach him at 482-3456. Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2005 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback www.bingo.com Home Security Systems Trunks, Footlocker dvd-r Distance Education Computer Security Ztech Media Hosting Sports Equipment Online Casino Student Loans Online Pharmacy tcg student loan consolidation Online Casino Reviews Myspace Home Equity Loans Windermere Van Vleet Deep Muscle Stimulator Discount Hotel Reservations Southern Oregon Loans Online Casino News Casino Gambling Sites Online Bingo Entertainment Guide Salvia Divinorum Advertisement s