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Medford advances with school development plan By Vicki Guarino The Medford School District is moving ahead on its largest development plan ever: a third high school, devoted to new programs in technology; a third middle school with a new grade structure; and a new look for learning at North and South high schools. Advancing on three fronts at once, the school board Tuesday named dozens of members to three committees charged with addressing each project. Members range from business owners like contractor Russ Batzer, to community activists like the West Medford Coalition�s Laura Hisamoto, to high school students Rob Little and Lauren Mapp, to parents, teachers and even a couple of grade school students. "We don�t have all the details worked out yet," Superintendent Steve Wisely said, "but this is going to be exciting." The citizen committees, each with 25-30 members, will go to work in November. They�ll hear from district staff and guest speakers, visit local and out-of-town schools, and discuss curriculum needs, construction specifications and public expectations for education in Medford. By the time the committees finish their work in April, they�ll have specific recommendations on how the community will educate its growing student population and produce graduates highly qualified for college or skilled employment. To date, school district administrators have sketched out the building and instructional plans and have estimated costs at roughly $70 million. The committees are to fill out the sketches and produce detailed plans for public review at forums a year from now. Administrators hope to present a construction bond measure to voters that would cost property owners less than $1 per $1,000 assessed valuation. "We believe that staying under a $1 tax rate will make it more acceptable to our patrons," Wisely said. Bond attorneys have calculated that a $70 million project would cost about 75 cents per $1,000 in additional taxes. A vote on the new plan would come in November 2002, and new buildings would open at the start of the 2004-2005 school year. The committees� first task will be to assess enrollment and growth projections and conclude with administrators that the new schools are needed. High schools are running almost at capacity, as are many elementary schools scattered across town. The middle school plan, to move sixth-graders up to middle school and add a third school, would alleviate crowding and improve education, administrators have said. The demand for high school space will grow more crucial in coming years, according to growth forecasts. Rather than simply build a third high school, however, district officials want to create something new for students and the community. One intent of the technology high school is to answer a business and industry concern that the valley lacks a large, skilled work force that would attract new businesses with family-wage jobs to the region. This concern has led to the appointment of mostly business people to the technology high school committee. The middle school committee consists mostly of parents because of its impact on families. The committee to study potential new programs at North and South is largely made up of staff because the study is closely linked to curriculum issues. Obituaries | Sports | Business | Classifieds | Tempo | Prime Times | So Oregon Sites | Outdoor Journal | Subscribe | Contact | Movies | Advertise | Real Estate Showcase | Archive | Editorials | Letters to the editor | Religion | Wake-up Call | NIE | Cyber Chef | Job Network | So Oregon Weather | WSJ Northwest | Forums | AP Wire | AP Money | F.A.Q. | Awards Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. The Community Newspaper Subsidiary of Dow Jones & Co, Inc Copyright �The Mail Tribune 2000, Medford, Oregon USA