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47 °F Forecast | Road Cams Thursday, February 26, 2004 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find a Rental Place an ad eSouthernOregon Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar CUSTOMER SERVICE Frequent Questions Advertising Information Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Network Affiliate Email Story to a Friend February 10, 2004 Ashland to close second school By BILL CHOY Mail Tribune Ashland will retain four elementary schools for at least one more year. The Ashland School Board decided at its Monday evening meeting to close Lincoln Elementary School in June of 2005 instead of shuttering the school this June. Superintendent Juli Di Chiro had pointed to declining enrollment and dwindling state funding as key reasons for the board to consider the closure. At the meeting, Di Chiro said the district had carefully gone over the financial figures this past week, factoring in the failure of Measure 30 in its decision. For this school year, the district estimated out of the $18,595,267 budgeted for expenditures, its annual expenditures are projected to be $18,100,000, with an estimated $1,929,000 in cash, that can be carried over for the next school year. Advertisement For the 2004-2005 school year, the district estimates $19,424,000 in anticipated revenue, which includes a projected $16,995,440 from the state. Expenditures are estimated to be at $18,915,000. Last school year, district and school board officials said Lincoln would be the second school to close if elementary school enrollment districtwide went below 1,050, or if financial concerns warranted it. Di Chiro said it appeared the financial trigger will not hit for the 2004-2005 school year. But she did say the district estimated enrollment would dip to 1,033. If Lincoln did shut down, it would be the second school in Ashland to close since June, when Briscoe Elementary School closed. Di Chiro said after the meeting it was the right thing to do to keep the school open until next year. "We just closed Briscoe and to relocate a number of children again two years in a row would have been a disruption," she said. "I wish we had enough kids to have every classroom open, but we don’t." Many parents and teachers had requested the school board keep Lincoln open for at least another year to find other solutions to the decline in enrollment and state support for public schools. Parents from Lincoln and other elementary schools in town have expressed worries about the impact in the other schools and throughout the community from Lincoln’s closure. Many parents and community members told the board if the school remained open they hoped the district and board would work closely with the community to come up with creative ideas and funding solutions. Marylee Oddo, who has two children at Lincoln, said she was pleased the school would be open at least one more year. "I can’t wait to tell my kids," she said. "They thought Lincoln was going to close." Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2004 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback 3 WEEKS FREE! ADVERTISERS A D V E R T I S E R S RESOURCES Oregon Road Conditions & Cams SPECIAL SECTIONS Auto Finder Job Finder Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Since We Asked Food for Thought Wellness Connection Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Opportunities Prime Times