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Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend October 19, 2005 District will pay PR firm $52,500 Medford School Board says the company will help it explain changes to the community better By ANITA BURKE Mail Tribune The Medford School District will pay a Salem-based public relations firm $52,500 to craft communication plans to help explain changes at the district’s high schools, the need for maintenance and improvement of school buildings and contract negotiations with teachers. The school board approved a contract with Randall-Dixon Public Relations LLC at its meeting Tuesday. "These are extraordinary times with extraordinary issues facing us in the next 12 months," board Chairman Larry Nicholson said. "We can’t mess this up. We are more than justified in seeking the help of a PR firm." Nicholson, who works in the insurance industry, noted that most organizations the size of the school district have a public relations department, but the district doesn’t, and doesn’t plan to add one. Tapping the expertise of consultants enables the district to improve communication with the community while it grapples with tough issues without increasing the district’s payroll or benefit costs, he said. Both high schools in the district have received multimillion dollar grants from the Oregon Small Schools Initiative to remake themselves as a cluster of small, rigorous schools. The district has a committee of roughly 70 community members evaluating school buildings to decide if a bond measure next fall is needed to improve them. The district’s contract with teachers expires next June and negotiations on a new agreement will open soon. Advertisement "Our ability to communicate with the public will be key in all of those," Nicholson said. "This is an investment in our district, and, I think, a well-advised one." Under the contract approved Tuesday, Randall-Dixon will create long- and short-term communication plans for the district. The company will get $5,000 when the short-term plan is written and $15,000 when the long-term plan is done. The firm also will be paid $2,500 monthly for 13 months starting Nov. 1 to implement the plans and monitor communication activities. In addition, the district will pay Randall-Dixon’s expenses for travel, meals and lodging. Superintendent Phil Long said the district didn’t budget for a communications consultant, but has money set aside in budget categories that are loosely related. The district budgeted $35,000 to evaluate the effectiveness of district office administration and support, and $22,500 of that money will go to Randall-Dixon, Long said. The school board has an annual allocation for professional and technical services that can provide another $10,000 for the public relations services. The budget also provided $250,000 to each high school for costs related to the small schools initiative and $10,000 from each school’s allocation will go to Randall-Dixon. "We are not spending money that would have gone to teachers or classrooms," Long said. School board member Cynthia Wright said "I think our community is going to be thrilled to get information that we didn’t have the ability to get out to them before." 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 Cheap Website Hosting Discount Hotel Reservations Online Pharmacy Myspace Home Equity Loans Windermere Van Vleet Deep Muscle Stimulator Sports Equipment Online Casino Reviews Student Loans High End Computers Online Casino News Online Bingo Entertainment Guide Salvia Divinorum Online Casino Fundraisers Advertisement s