School districts brace
for budget shortfalls
Measure 28 will determine
the future of some Oregon
K-l 2 school district budgets
Jan Montry
City/State Politics Reporter
Oregon’s K-12 school districts are
bracing for another round of poten
tial shortfalls if Measure 28 fails this
month, putting even more pressure
on district administrators to make
ends meet.
The Oregon Department of Edu
cation is reporting that a #47 mil
lion shortfall would result from the
failure of the measure, which the
department said will cause about 50
percent of K-12 school districts to
reduce school days.
“There is no other way to save
money,” ODE spokesman Gene
Evans said. “We’ll have to start
sending kids home.”
Evans blamed the poor state of
school funding on the Oregon reces
sion, the unemployment and an un
favorable funding model.
“Schools are 60 percent reliant
on income taxes, which is very
volatile,” Evans said. “Nobody else
funds schools like that.”
Some districts have already pre
pared for the worst, even despite
the gloomy outlook if Measure
28 fails.
The Eugene 4J school district,
which already faced an #8 million
cut going into the year, has an
emergency reserve fund that will be
used to avoid reducing school days.
4J schools will face an additional $3
million shortfall this year if the
measure fails, but the reserve would
pad the blow.
“What we did is, when the state
revenue shortfall showed its face,
we started saving,” 4J spokes
woman Barb Bellamy said. “For us,
we can use the reserve, but we cer
tainly can’t continue to do so for the
next two years.”
Bellamy explained that, whether
Measure 28 passes or fails, the dis
trict will most likely face cuts in the
next fiscal year because of the
state’s expected shortfall. But for
now, she said, their intention is to
postpone them as long as possible.
The Springfield school district,
which faced a $3.3 million cut going
into this fiscal year, would be short
an additional $1.8 million if Mea
sure 28 doesn’t pass. Like the 4J
strategy, Springfield officials started
preparing for the possible cuts in
July and will offset the possible
shortfall by instituting spending
freezes and not hiring people for un
filled positions.
And like the 4J district, the
Springfield school district is more
worried about the next fiscal year.
“What we’re looking toward is the
kind of shortfalls we’ll be facing next
year,” Springfield school district
spokeswoman Gherie Kistner said.
“The current estimates are at
$7 million.”
Many detractors of the measure
are arguing that its failure will not
signify such drastic cuts in funding.
Rep. Dan Doyle, R-Salem, said
there are ways to prioritize funding
that will save schools from budget
shortfalls and don’t include increas
ing taxes.
“Right now, we are going through
that process,” he said. “There is still
a way to live within the means that
the taxpayers give us.”
Doyle said a team of Oregon leg
islators are planning to meet during
the next few weeks to discuss prior
itization ideas.
Taxpayer Association of Oregon
Executive Director Jason Williams
called the threatened cuts to
schools a scare tactic, saying once
lawmakers revisit the cuts, they will
find them less drastic than antici
pated.
But Evans disagreed. Evans said
he believes people doubt the cuts
because, in the past, schools with
slashed budgets have been able to
keep programs such as art and
sports — even after saying cuts
were necessary.
And according to Evans, most
people think schools are crying wolf.
“Looking at the poll numbers,
people don’t actually believe
the cuts will occur,” he said. But
“our schools are in terrible shape
right now.”
Contact the senior news reporter
atjanmontry@dailyemerald.com.
i
for Rec Sports
basketball,
volleyball and
floor hockey
officials. First
general meeting
is Wed., Jan. 8th,
6p.m. in Ulrich
Room, 63 SRC.
Apply at
102 Esslinger
or call 346-4113.
f/i
+j
u
o
ft
t/j
Winter Term 2003
League
Manager Meetings Location
Time
Basketball
January 14
*SRC Multipurpose #44:00p.m.
Floor Hockey
January 21
*SRC Ulrich Room 63
4:00p.m.
Coed Volleyball
January 22
*SRC Ulrich Room63
4:00p.m.
League
Playoff Meetings Location
Time
Basketball
February 13
*SRC Multipurpose #44:00p.m.
Coed Volleyball
February 13
*SRC Ulrich Room 63
5:00p.m.
Floor Hockey
February 18
‘SRC Ulrich Room 63
4:00p.m.
Special Events
Deadline
Dates
Location
Basketball Scramble January 14
January 15-16
Courts 4 & 5, SRC
Open Swim Meet
Slam Dunk (iew)
February 5
February 7, 5:00 p,m.Leighton Pool
February 11
February 12, 4:00 p.m. Court 1, SRC
Hot Shot, 3-point Contest February 12
February 12, 4:00 p.m. Court 1, SRC
One Day Events
Deadline
Dates
Location
Pac-10 3-on-3 Basketball January 29
February 1
Courts 1, 2, 3, SRC
Table Tennis
January 30
February 2, noon
220 Gerlinqer Hall
Wrestling
Badminton
February 12,
3:45-5:00p.m.
February 12,
7:30p.m.
March 1, 3:30p.m
Mac Court
February 27
Court 3, SRC
Two Day Tournaments Deadline
Dates
Location
Indoor Soccer
February 13
February 15-16
Courts 4 & 5, SRC
Stadium Flag Football February 20
February 22-23
Autzen Stadium
•Student Recreation Center
An equal-opportunity, affirmative-action institution
committed to cultural diversity and compliance with the
Americans with Disabilities Act. Accommodations for people with
disabilities will be provided if requested in advance.
For more information, stop by
102 Esslinger Hall or call 346-4113.
Visit our Web site: http://darkwing.uoregon.edu/~pars/
Wednesday Jan, 1,6:29 a,m,: Furniture reported stolen off
porch of residence on East Campus,
Fridayjan. 3, 1 1:34 a.m.: Bike reported stolen fromEMU.
Fridayjan. 3, 1 1:35 a.m,: Bike reported stolen from Walton
Complex.
Fridayjan. 3, 2:36 p.m.: Bike reported stolen from dosed
portion of East 13th Avenue.
Mondayjan. 6, i 0:57 a.m.: Bike reported stolen from the
School of Music.
Mondayjan. 6,4:58 p.m.: Bike reported stolen from 180 PLC
Mondayjan. 6, 7:00 p.m.: Bike reported stolen from Knight
Library.
Drugs and alcohol
Tuesday, Dec. 31, 10:32 p.m.: DPS received a report of more
than 1 5 subjects with open containers at Hayward Field.
Sundayjan. 5, 1:36 a.m.: DPS received a report of two subjects
with open containers at intersection of Kincaid Street and East
14th Avenue.
Sundayjan, 5,7:54 a.m,: DPS received a report of multiple,
possibly intoxicated male subjects outside EMU.
Sundayjan. 5, 9:38 p.m.: DPS received a report of intoxicated
subject at Bean East.
Other
Tuesday, Dec. 31, 3:24 a.m.: DPS received a report of subject
camping illegally at Chiles Business Center.
Thursdayjan. 2, 2:32 a.m.: DPS received a report of a broken
window at Science Library.
Thursdayjan. 2,12:37 p.m.: DPS received a report of female
staff members stuck in an elevator at Oregon Hall.
Fridayjan. 3, 5:1 7 p.m.: DPS received a report of suspicious
subject sleeping at Willamette Hall.
Sunday, Jan. 5,12:25 a.m,: DPS received a report of a
suspicious subject sleeping outside Barnhart.
Sundayjan. 5, 11:42 p.m.: DPS received a report of a
suspicious subject yelling at a wall at intersection of Agate
Street and East 1 3th Avenue.
Mondayjan. 6, 3:04 a.m.: DPS received a report of subject
sleeping on sidewalk at Stressinger Hail.
Mondayjan. 6, 8:52 a.m.: DPS received a report of a female
subject fainting in a classroom at Cerlinger Hall.
Mondayjan. 6, 11:51 a.m.: DPS received a report of subject
sleeping outside of Knight Library.
Complete Selection
of X-C Skis
• Boots • Clothing
Cross Country
Ski Rentals
13th & Lawrence
683-1300
www.bergsskishop.com
012860
LIGHTS OUT!!
EVERY WATT COUNTS
Sponsored by the UO Campus Environmental Issues Committee