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CLOUDY Temp: 61 °F Wind: WNW at 5 mph Monday, September 29, 2003 SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA HomeLife Magazine Joy Magazine Tempo A & E RogueValleyAutoFinder RogueValleyHomeFinder Real Estate Showcase Wellness Connection 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 Employment Contact Us Media Kit Email Story to a Friend September 9, 2003 Crowded classes force temporary fixes in Medford By JILL BRISKEY Mail Tribune To alleviate overcrowding in elementary classrooms, the Medford School Board on Monday agreed to slash $1 million from other expenditures in its general budget to pay for 11 temporary teachers. "This is my 10th year as a board member and I’ve never, never seen anything like this," said school board member Peggy Penland. "It’s just not good, no matter how you look at it." In addition, administrators will hire several classroom aides and ask up to six Medford teachers to leave their relatively uncrowded classrooms behind and transfer to an overcrowded school. Despite all the changes, Superintendent Dick Gregory admitted that crowded classrooms will still plague many elementary schools. Advertisement "Even after we do this, the numbers are still too high," said Gregory. "Even when we add aides and put a teacher here and there ... it doesn’t have the impact we want it to have." Preliminary figures show that enrollment at Medford schools was flat in the 2003-04 year. But overcrowded classrooms have sprouted up at most schools because the district cut 33.5 teaching positions as part of an overall $6 million budget reduction this summer. At Medford’s 14 elementary schools, 19.5 teaching positions were eliminated. Many schools such as Abraham Lincoln, Lone Pine and Griffin Creek, have first- and second-grade classes with more than 27 students. The ideal head count for that age group is 20 per classroom. Fifth- and sixth-grade classrooms should hover at 30 students, but some classes have as many as 38 kids. The district attempted to cut back on overcrowding this summer by suspending a policy that allows students to transfer to schools outside their attendance area. Emotions ran high for many parents who attempted to transfer their children last week when registering. "In a couple of cases, that’s exactly what happened," said Abraham Lincoln Principal Bob Hartwig. "But the fact that we can say ‘no’ has been really helpful." On Monday it was unclear what schools would receive the new hires or teacher transfers. Gregory said the details were still being worked out. District officials hope that 11 new teachers can be hired and be in the classroom by Monday, Sept. 15. Budget cuts across the state have created a large pool of teachers seeking jobs, said Gregory, who doesn’t anticipate a problem finding staff on short notice. To cut the $1 million needed for new hires, Gregory said the district will place a freeze on all spending. He added that staff will begin reviewing the 2003-04 budget today and attempt to make additional cuts. Penland is hopeful the district will receive an additional $500,000 from the state based on higher than anticipated enrollment figures. She also said the district can save money by not using substitutes when non-teaching staff such as janitors, cooks or teacher aides are absent. However, she noted that the employee union must first agree to that proposal. All new teachers will work for only one year, Penland added. "The sad part, the scary part, is that what we’re doing will only get us through the 2003-04 school year," she said. "After that, it’s going to be ugly. It’s going to be really ugly." "These are tough and unusual times, and that calls for tough and unusual choices," added Gregory, who urged parents to be understanding about any students or teacher transfers. "Frankly, we don’t have any choice." Reach reporter Jill Briskeyat 776-4485, or e-mail [email protected] Printer Friendly Version Email Story to a Friend Subscribe Archive: Click to Search Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2003 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback A D V E R T I S E R S SPECIAL SECTIONS Rogue Valley Auto Finder Rogue Valley Job Finder --> Rogue Valley Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Real Estate Showcase Food for Thought Hike of the Week Wellness Connection Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Openings Prime Times