Bailey Hill, Whiteaker suggested for closure
■ Community members
voiced concerns about the
recommendation to close the
two elementary schools
By Lindsay Buchele
Oregon Daily Emerald
Superintendent George Russell
recommended Wednesday that the
District 4J School Board close Bai
ley Hill Elementary School and
Whiteaker Elementary School.
The board and the public had the
opportunity to hear and discuss
Russell’s suggestions on the much
debated closures for the first time
Wednesday.
Russell based his suggestions on
a list of six schools recommended
by the School Closure, Consolida
tion and Replacement Committee.
District 4J officials said closures are
necessary due to a planned $3.4 mil
lion budget cut for the 2001-2002
school year. Parents and community
members were appointed to the
school closure committee to investi
gate which schools could be closed.
Other recommendations Russell
made included cutting administra
tive staff at Silver Lea and keeping
Coburg, Santa Clara and Willaken
zie Elementary schools open for the
2001-2001 school year.
“No community wants to see its
school closed,” Russell said. “But we
can’t keep schools open just because
they are a neighborhood school. ”
Russell developed criteria for
keeping a school open, including a
necessary enrollment of between
250 and 500 students. He also said
the quality of the programs offered
at the school and the condition of
the facilities need to be considered
in the big picture of school closures.
The school board decided last
night that it will make a point of visit
ing all six schools originally targeted
for closure by the committee, not just
the two schools suggested by the su
perintendent, in order to get a true
feel for each school and make a more
educated decision.
“In order for the board to make a
decision, we must have all the infor
mation available,” board member
Chris Pryor said. “If we don’t visit a
school, we can’t do anything to it.”
Some Eugene residents who
spoke before the board said a small,
neighborhood school is more im
portant than a large school. "•
“Bailey Hill has a solid enroll
ment that has been increasing,” said
Diane Shultz, co-president of the
Bailey Hill Parent Teacher Organi
zation. “We’re considered a true
neighborhood school, with almost
100 of our students living within
walking distance.”
Bailey Hill’s enrollment is cur
rently 234 students, slightly less
than the suggested 250 to stay open.
Community member Mac Mc
Fadden disagreed with the closing
of Whiteaker Elementary, and asked
the board to consider a more “con
troversial closure.”
“I think the board should consider
closing Silver Lea,” McFadden said.
“It’s not an old building, and it’s not
small, but it’s also not a neighborhood
school. It would also send the message
that the board will close schools that
cause the least pain and have the least
negative effects on the community.”
Whiteaker parent Majeska Seese
Green said she wonders if Whiteak
er is being targeted for “racist and
class-prejudiced reasons.”
“I think the closure is about
broader community issues,” Seese
Green said.
This is one reason why Whiteak
er Elementary is holding a meeting
March 8 to discuss these issues with
school board members, she said.
Laura Smit Emerald
Children w&it for a bus ride home after classes end at Whiteaker Elementary School,
which wastecommended for closure at the end of the school year.
Joan Qbie, a Bailey Hill Elemen
tary parent, said the board has tar
geted two schools with a high ratio
of low-income students.
“If you consolidate these schools,
you’re making teachers deal with
full classes where the majority of
the students are special-needs
kids,” Obiesaid.
A public hearing is scheduled for
March 12 at the 4) Education Cen
ter, 200 N. Monroe St. The board
hopes to make a final decision
March 21.
011277
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