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69 °F Forecast | Road Cams Tuesday, September 28, 2004 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics Tempo AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map SPECIAL SECTIONS Since We Asked Outdoor Journal How To Guide Wellness Connection Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Wedding Guide Rogue Valley's Finest EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People MARKETPLACE Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Classifieds 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 Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend September 16, 2004 Ashland schools pick residents’ brains By BILL CHOY Mail Tribune ASHLAND — The Ashland School District is spending $16,000 for a community survey to help it better understand how residents feel about local schools and the issues they face. Starting this weekend or early next week, representatives of Davis, Hibbitts & Midghall Inc., based in Portland, will call 400 randomly selected residents to ask survey questions, which will take an average of 10 to 12 minutes to complete. Adam Davis, a partner in the firm, said participants will be asked questions about overall school performance, the strengths and weaknesses of the district, and reactions to the decline in enrollment, school closures, the decrease in state funding and ways the district could find more funding options. Other questions include whether the high school should have some classes divided into smaller learning communities and concerns about the possibility of overcrowded schools with the loss of two elementary schools in town. Briscoe Elementary closed in 2003, and Lincoln Elementary is expected to close in June. Superintendent Juli Di Chiro said the district wanted a way to gauge public viewpoints besides those of people who write letters or attend school district board meetings. Advertisement "When we have public meetings, we may have 50 people out of the thousands living here," she said. "We’re hoping to get a more broad-based idea of how people feel about our schools and get a better feel of how people are perceiving our schools." She said the survey’s cost will be paid from the district’s general fund. It’s well worth the cost because it will give the district invaluable information on public opinion, she said, which will help the district better meet the needs of the community and its students. School board Chairwoman Amy Amrhein agreed. "A public school system is a reflection of the community and we want to make sure we’re representing our taxpayers in the way they want us to," she said. Davis said his firm specializes in working with school districts and school-related organizations on surveys. They have worked for the Oregon State Board of Education, the Portland Schools Foundation, and schools throughout Oregon and in Alaska and Colorado. The identity of survey participants will be confidential, even to the school district, Davis said. Survey results will be presented to the school board in October. For those who do not get called, an online survey will be available at the school district Web site after the telephone survey is completed. To access the online survey once it is available, visit www.ashland.k12.or.us on the Web. Bill Choy is a reporter for the Mail Tribune and the Ashland Daily Tidings. Reach him at 482-3456. 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 ADVERTISERS A D V E R T I S E R S SPECIAL SECTIONS Auto Finder Job Finder Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Opportunities