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Cutting class time's no answer, officials say Mail Tribune / Roy Musitelli Roosevelt Elementary School fourth-graders Cody Adams, left, and Stephen Langberg spend their lunch break reading at the Medford school on Monday. Administrators in some Oregon school districts are considering trimming classroom time to deal with state budget cuts, but Rogue Valley educators say they hope to avoid that. Local educators say they shy away from using it to balance budgets except in dire circumstances By TONY BOOM Mail Tribune Giving students less time in the classroom next year may be a popular budget-cutting idea in other parts of the state, but Rogue Valley educators say it's not at the top of their lists - yet. "That's not something we are currently looking at," said Candy Manary, superintendent of the Central Point School District. "We are concerned about our instructional time. It's important to us." Faced with an $846 million state budget shortfall that will lead to state funding cuts of at least $140 per student next year, school administrators in the Portland and Eugene areas have talked of trimming budgets by trimming the time students spend in the classroom. Oregon already ranks lowest of all states in the amount of time students are required to spend in class. Any reduction would be a short-term solution. Districts would need to get a waiver to offer less than state-mandated classroom hours. Waivers are granted on a case-by-case basis. Districts would have to be back in compliance the following year or risk losing accreditation. "We've given it some thought. There's a lot of restrictions on doing that - collective bargaining agreements, state laws and rules and graduation requirements," said Ben Bergreen, superintendent of Phoenix-Talent schools. "It's not something we are considering doing right now," Bergreen said. "If the funding picture changes dramatically, we might look at it later. It's certainly an option, but at this time it doesn't look like a very good one." "One of our last priorities would be to reduce the number of days," said Steve Wisely, Medford schools superintendent. Attrition among employees should allow the district to meet its budget reduction goals, he said. "That would be one of the lowest priorities on my list unless we are forced to it, " said Rogue River School Board member Dick Handbury. "I'd certainly be against trying to meet our problem that way." Reduction in days is not under consideration now, said Rogue River Superintendent Charles Hellman, but it might come to the surface if voters in May reject a proposal to raise $220 million for schools by tapping a state Education Endowment Fund. The Ashland School District reduced its teaching contract from 190 to 189 days last year and saved about $75,000. But the superintendent does not favor further reductions. "It doesn't solve the problem," said Ashland Superintendent Juli Di Chiro. "It's a one-year solution, then we go to the next year and haven't reduced programs and staff and still have the same budget ingredients to deal with. It's not something I'd recommend at this time." Ashland and other districts would need to negotiate with certified and classified workers unions on reductions in days worked. Ashland's contract with teachers allows reopening the compensation issue if the district is unable to meet its obligations. Other districts may not be in the same position. Both Mike McEachren, Oregon Education Association representative in Medford, and Oregon School Board Association Director of Labor Relations Ron Wilson said contracts generally can't be reopened because of economic issues. "Because we have negotiated salary schedules, whether they reduce days or not, they still have an obligation to pay full wages and benefits," said McEachren. Most teaching contracts in this area are for 190 days with 176 instructional days, he said. The Fernridge School District near Eugene has begun negotiations with its teachers to reduce their contract, said Wilson. "It's something that hasn't been actively considered by many districts," he said. "This is more the new way of looking at things other than the traditional layoff, which is in almost all agreements." Reach Ashland bureau reporter Tony Boom at 482-4651, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.