Document text
0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Home News Latest Stories Lack of incumbents, pot issue draws 10 for Medford council races Asphalt plant opponents frustrated during appeal Superintendent welcomes staff to a new school year Medford man gets three-year prison sentence for robbery, assault Auditions planned for 'Alice in Wonderland' Crime, Courts and Emergency Services Medford man gets three-year prison sentence for robbery, assault Central Point man arrested after road rage leads to threats, gunfire Emergency services Clemency still sought for husband killer Neighbors say man shot by police was veteran suffering from PTSD Politics and Elections Lack of incumbents, pot issue draws 10 for Medford council races Council members in Gold Hill dodge voter recall Bill Pullman campaigns for Oregon GMO labeling law Two races set for Ashland council positions Five to compete for three City Council seats Education Superintendent welcomes staff to a new school year Safe haven: Art program provides a place for youth to express themselves Sacred Heart School gets new principal Medford School District considers gifted land for new school Loan default rate threatens Umpqua student aid Environment Ashland marchers won't give up on climate change message OR-7 could be recollared next month Deadly deer virus may be spreading Talent earns Bee City USA designation Those without senior water rights left high and dry State news Nation - World Obituaries Colton Taylor Webster Joe Raymond Burchfiel Death Notices David Michael Coberly Ruth R. Fodal Weather Photo Galleries Since You Asked Videos Web Cams Mail Tribune 100 Sports Latest Stories Reber, Barden, Marsh double winners at Champion Davis, US beat Slovenia in exhibition Raiders hope rebuild pays immediate dividends After trio of near misses, 49ers chase Super Bowl Three’s company in Ducks’ backfield Varsity 541 College Sports Three’s company in Ducks’ backfield OSU kicker Crist eager to face old team Mannion embarks on final season with the Beavers Master's ekes out overtime win over SOU Murphy claims victory in Stroke Play Championships Pro Sports Davis, US beat Slovenia in exhibition Raiders hope rebuild pays immediate dividends After trio of near misses, 49ers chase Super Bowl Ellsbury hits milestone, Pineda shines in Yankees victory Murray grits through cramps to win at US Open Community Sports Murphy claims victory in Stroke Play Championships South Korea downs Chicago for World Series title Results / Standings Second season a success for Rogues Runners defend titles in Mt. Ashland Hill Climb Business Latest Stories Earliest crush on record Hotel occupancy, room rates up in Southern Oregon Blog: If you've got the time, BLS has a tome for you Amy's Kitchen begins expansion in White City Ashland's Paddington Station takes top national prize Real Estate News Median residential housing prices rise 10.7 percent, but may begin to level out People In Business People in business Transportation Agriculture Earliest crush on record Amy's Kitchen begins expansion in White City Opinion Latest Granlund cartoon: School dress codes Letters to the Editor, Aug. 26 Charita Goshay: Ferguson is microcosm of larger frustration Michael Gerson: Golf and terrorism: Is Obama too detached to lead? Letters to the Editor, Aug. 25 Editorials Our View: It's not the gear; it's how the gear is used Other Views: NCAA must maintain academic integrity Our View: Marijuana sales — a taxing problem Our View: Water law has outlived its purpose Our View: Karuks have a head start on casino plans Letters to the Editor Letters to the Editor, Aug. 26 Letters to the Editor, Aug. 25 Letters to the Editor, Aug. 22 Letters to the Editor, Aug. 21 Letters to the Editor, Aug. 20 Guest Opinions The summer of my discontent: An open letter to Bill Rauch The power of local philanthropy Who I am and why I want to serve on the City Council Lifestyle Latest stories Community blog: Not So Many (un)Happy Returns! Community blog: Silky stew or quick saute is summer's symphony 'Broads' are wilderness advocates, stewards Confessions of a not-very-masterful gardener New Arrivals Food Community blog: Silky stew or quick saute is summer's symphony Community blog: Onion pickles can wait for home-canning lull Cooking outside the box Cold Cucumber Cream Soup With Tomato Salsa Summer Squash Pasta With Green Goddess Dressing Home and Garden An August checklist for your garden Green Scene: Diagnosing common tomato troubles Lawn talk Tips for keeping backyard birds cool this summer Bath time for the birds: You can help them stay cool and clean Health Healthy Aging: Iron girls galore Community blog:Here�s How To Leave Despair For Resilience Health officials detect West Nile Virus in another Jackson County sample Community blog:Doing laundry... Healthy Aging: An udderly unlikely vacation find Hiking Faith Religion briefs Community Blog: Is Peace Possible in the Middle East - Part three of four Religion briefs Community Blog: Is Peace Possible in the Middle East part 2 Religion briefs Milestones and Achievements New Arrivals Shayla Brooke Grether and Jesse Levi Tanner Grange Co-Op garden helps feed the hungry Medford woman graduates with honors Century Club Columnist for a Day Healthy Aging Tempo Latest stories Alan Berman Trio at the Imperial The Beach Boys at Britt Matisyahu and Dub Trio play Britt Live Music in Local Clubs Brian Regan hands out the laughs at Britt Theater Randall Theatre extends 'Godspell' 'Pump Boys & Dinettes' opens at Camelot Theatre Film festival kicks off annual 'Daedalus Project' Review: The joy of 'Godspell' is infectious Randall Theatre opens 'Godspell' Music Alan Berman Trio at the Imperial The Beach Boys at Britt Matisyahu and Dub Trio play Britt Live Music in Local Clubs Jeff Addicott: A Rogue Valley Experience Community Events Shady Cove Tie Days Swap Meet 'Prints From the Plateau' at the Rogue Gallery Nature Walks in Lithia Park ScienceWorks Hands-on Museum World of Wine celebrates local varietals Dining NW Raw Kelly's Crepes Basil & Berries India Palace Tempo Videos Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » Obituaries TV Listings Movie Listings Oregon Outdoors Oregon Healthy Living Magazines & Special Sections NEWS NOW Medford man gets three-year prison sentence for robbery, assault ... Central Point man arrested after road rage leads to threats, gunfire ... 10 things to know for Tuesday ... Medford man gets three-year prison sentence for robbery, assault ... Central Point man arrested after road rage leads to threats, gunfire ... 10 things to know for Tuesday ... EDUCATION Medford School District considers gifted land for new school Donation contingent on land being brought into UGB The Medford School District has identified property in north Medford as a potential site for the district’s 15th, non-charter elementary school. The best part: It’s free. By Teresa Thomas Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Teresa Thomas Mail Tribune Posted Aug. 22, 2014 @ 7:13 pm Updated Aug 23, 2014 at 12:21 AM By Teresa Thomas Mail Tribune Posted Aug. 22, 2014 @ 7:13 pm Updated Aug 23, 2014 at 12:21 AM » Social News The Medford School District has identified property in north Medford as a potential site for the district’s 15th, non-charter elementary school. The best part: It’s free. The co-owners of the property — Douglas Simpson of Coker Butte Development LLC and Howard Kimmel of O’Side Industry LLC — have expressed an intent to donate 20 acres of land near East Vilas Road and Crater Lake Highway to the school district. But the donation is contingent on the land being brought into Medford’s urban growth boundary. The Medford School Board earlier this week approved the district’s revised Long Range Facility Plan, which included the property as an option for a new elementary school. The board will decide whether to accept the gift pledge at a future meeting. Board Chairman Jeff Thomas said he doesn't foresee any issues with the acquisition.  "If you're elected to the 549C School Board, you are trying to bring as many resources as possible to the district, so if you have community members wanting to donate, then it's prudent to accept that," Thomas said. "Then, when you build the new school, you won't have land acquisition costs, and you'll be able to build the school for fewer dollars, which will save the taxpayers dollars."  At Monday’s meeting, Brad Earl, the district’s chief financial officer, told the board the property was “pretty ideally suited for what we need it for.” Currently, the district has enough space to accommodate an additional 478 elementary students, while providing space for community partners such as Kids Unlimited, Southern Oregon Education Service District, the YMCA, Head Start, and SMART (Start Making a Reader Today). Without those programs, the district would have room for an additional 968 elementary students. Nonetheless, based on enrollment projections, the district could easily exceed the space available in the next seven to 10 years, Earl said. Griffin Creek, Hoover and Lone Pine elementary schools already have exceeded their capacity, forcing the district to look at relocating or consolidating programs, limiting the number of transfers, and adding “floating” teachers instead of additional classrooms, said Julie Evans, director of elementary education. When Lone Pine exceeded its capacity last year, the district redrew boundary lines to shift students to Wilson Elementary, which had space to accommodate more students. When the district adds full-day kindergarten in fall 2015, some schools will need to lease or purchase modular units, which have the capacity to hold about 48 students in two classrooms to provide short-term relief, Evans said. If the board agrees to accept the 20 acres in north Medford, the district will work with the property owners in asking the city to bring the land into the urban growth boundary. The 20 acres are part of a 76-acre tax lot. Simpson and Kimmel also co-own the neighboring 77-acre tax lot and another 2-acre tax lot across the street on Crater Lake Avenue. “Basically, we have a master plan for the property, and the master plan is mixed-use with commercial, residential and a school site,” explained Mark Bartholomew, a Medford lawyer representing the property owners. “We feel the presence of a school site is beneficial to the overall development and makes it a more attractive candidate for inclusion in the urban growth boundary.” Bianca Petrou, Medford’s assistant planning director, said the city is studying the area to determine whether to propose bringing it inside the UGB. “But there is no proposal yet,” Petrou said. “The city’s planning staff plans to go the City Council with an urban growth boundary expansion proposal, possibly, in 2015,” she added. Earl estimated that the property could be worth between $1 million and $2 million. If the property were inside the UGB, it would be worth about four times that, he said. While the land may be free, building a new elementary school would cost the district at least $15 million, Earl said. “And that’s today’s money,” he added. Earl and Superintendent Brian Shumate have discussed setting aside all or a portion of the district’s construction excise tax as a down payment on a new school. Other options, such as refinancing existing debt to provide more room to borrow or asking the public for another bond, would require voter approval, Earl said. A new middle school also is part of the district's five- to 10-year plan. A middle school could cost the district about $78.8 million unless it opted to renovate the Medford School District Education Center, which currently houses Central Medford High School and the district's administrative offices, for $55.5 million.  Reach education reporter Teresa Thomas at 541-776-4497 or [email protected]. Follow her at www.twitter.com/teresathomas_mt. By Teresa Thomas Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Teresa Thomas Mail Tribune Posted Aug. 22, 2014 @ 7:13 pm Updated Aug 23, 2014 at 12:21 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2014 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. MailTribune.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501