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P/SUNNY Temp: 68 °F Wind: E at 5 mph Friday, May 2, 2003 SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA HomeLife Magazine W3 Magazine Jobs @ Mail Tribune Tempo A & E Oregon CarZone Wellness Connection Real Estate Newspaper in Education Prime Times Outdoor Journal Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find Everything E SOUTHERN OREGON Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar ABOUT US FAQ What's New Advertise Home Delivery Classified Ad Contact Us Media Kit Email Story to a Friend December 18, 2002 School years will shortenif tax boost fails Jan. 28 By JILL BRISKEY Mail Tribune If voters in January defeat a statewide tax measure, every Jackson County school district but Prospect expects to shorten the current school year. "The Jan. 28 election is what’s going to trigger this," said Butte Falls Superintendent Steve Pine. "We’re still in the throes of decision-making, just like everyone else." All of Jackson County’s superintendents met Monday to discuss possible impacts of cutting classroom hours. According to Medford Superintendent Steve Wisely, administrators agreed to coordinate specific days districts might cut if Measure 28 fails and schools decide to shave classroom hours. "If this happened, we wanted to coordinate our efforts regionally, to prevent kids from hanging out at other campuses if they had the day off," Wisely added. "Everyone was agreeable." The districts have not determined a set number of days they would drop. Superintendents say they see few options for saving money if the measure is defeated and schools are hit statewide with a $95 million reduction — their expected share of the cutbacks. "We are upset that we even have to consider reducing an educational year," said Rogue River Superintendent Charles Hellman. "But there are very few ways we can reduce expenditures in the middle of the year." Gene Evans, communication director of the Oregon Department of Education (ODE), says shortening a school year can have negative impacts on students. Seniors might not receive enough class hours to satisfy university requirements for college prep classes, making university acceptance difficult in some cases, he said. Cutting days also translates into a loss of salary for all school employees, from teachers to janitors and administrators, added Ashland Superintendent Juli DiChiro. "None of us want to do this," she said. "There’s an impact no matter which way you go." On Tuesday, it was unclear just how much districts in Jackson County could save with the cuts. No school days have been shaved in the county this year to date, although Ashland officials in 2001-02 slashed two days from its regular year to cut costs. Some districts — such as Eagle Point and Central Point — have already discussed possible cuts in board meetings. Others, including Medford, will talk about the issue this month. Any final decision would be made after voters decide the fate of Measure 28, superintendents agreed on Monday. Measure 28 would increase income taxes temporarily to help offset a state budget shortfall, raising $312 million in the current budget and $412 million in the 2002-04 budget. If the measure fails, the state would have to cut a total of about $450 million in the current budget. That represents the $312 million, plus additional cuts required by further tax revenue declines in recent months. The Oregon Department of Education last week notified all school districts of the state standards for classroom hours, including the minimum requirements. "This memo just gives school district more details," said Evans. "I’m seeing one out every two districts consider this. Everybody is coming to the conclusion that they are going to have to start knocking off days." Schools that fall below the required hours each year must file for a waiver. In Jackson County, all but one district either meet or exceed the requirements. Eagle Point School District is the exception, but only because Eagle Point Middle School was destroyed by fire in August. The state has granted the district a waiver. Cutting school days to save money is not a new practice. The Portland school system last year shortened its academic year by 10 days, making it the shortest school year in the country. Even Prospect, which has enough funds to keep from shaving its 2002-03 school year, could be forced chop days if the state’s economic situation doesn’t improve in 2003-04. "We’re going to do our best to stay here for the school year," said Prospect Superintendent Don Alexander. "We believe we can do that based on the current reports from the state. But we may run out of cash down the road." 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