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Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend November 24, 2005 Medford schools project evolves Officials: Fund shift could add flexibility By ANITA BURKE Mail Tribune Medford officials hope that a new direction for the foundations that bankrolled the Oregon Small Schools Initiative could mean increased flexibility for Medford’s efforts to create small schools. In their latest round of giving in Oregon, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the Meyer Memorial Trust shifted away from the small schools program and gave roughly $10.6 million to boost graduation rates and make sure high school graduates are prepared for life after school. Gates Foundation representatives said the organization wanted to broaden its focus beyond small schools to include other strategies for student success. "What we think high school kids need is an opportunity to be in challenging, relevant courses in an environment where they get the attention they need," Gates Foundation spokeswoman Barbara Semedo said. "Those elements might best be found in small schools, but one of the lessons we’ve learned is that you don’t have to focus on structure as the first entry point. "Now we are focusing on supporting districts that have strategies for improvement." Teams designing potential small schools at North and South Medford high schools hope the openness to change might extend to their plans and give them freedom to consider changing school sizes or the timeline for opening small schools. Advertisement "I support the original agreement, but if the Gates Foundation is open to changes, maybe we can ask for adjustments," said Doug Jantzi, Medford’s director of secondary education. In February, the district asked for an extension so it wouldn’t have to open at least one small school on each campus by fall 2006, but was denied, he said. Medford’s high schools are still designing potential schools and accepting new ideas, so they haven’t announced which small school each will open first. However, an advisor assigned to the district through OSSI has endorsed a possible plan to open an academy for freshmen. The original grant agreement called for schools of 400 or fewer students, and a freshman academy would have more students than that, Jantzi said. "What we want is the flexibility to make this work for us," he said. Oregon Small Schools Initiative Director Karen Phillips said that even though the foundations that provided $25 million to start the initiative have sent their money in a new direction, it won’t change the ongoing work. The initiative has provided multi-year grants to reshape 11 large, conventional high schools as clusters of small learning communities and to start four new small schools. It is still accepting applications for eight additional start-up schools to be funded in the spring. Locally, in addition to the Medford schools, Eagle Point School District is starting an arts academy and Crater High School in Central Point is undergoing a conversion to a group of united, small schools. Reach reporter Anita Burke at 776-4485, or e-mail Medford schools project evolves ">[email protected] . 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 Salvia Divinorum 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 Budget Website Templates Online Bingo Entertainment Guide Advertisement s