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About Illinois Valley news. (Cave City, Oregon) 1937-current | View Entire Issue (June 6, 2007)
Page 19 Illinois Valley News, Cave Junction, OR Wednesday, June 6, 2007 PIANO STUDENTS taught by Valerie Brown performed May 24 during at re- cital at the LDS Church in Cave Junc- tion. (Rear, from left): Valerie Brown, Kim Rodriguez, Erin Do- bie, Spencer Kendall, Nick Greener, Emma Hamilton and Dan Fiske; (front, from left): Amanda Brooks, Jasmine He, Agatha Robinson, Elijah Wilson, Nehemiah Wilson, Abigail Robinson, Amy McLean, Zack Blaylack, Bo Dillon. (Photo by Jack Brown) Starting or Growing a Business in Illinois Valley? Need money? Micro Business-Loan Funding Always Available! *Start-up, existing, home-based or other business enterprises * $200 minimum to $10,000 maximum *Apply at the IVCDO office (next to Caves Pharmacy) *Questions? Phone 592-4440 TRSD budget affected by significant student drops By SCOTT JORGENSEN IVN Staff Writer As it currently stands, the Three Rivers School District (TRSD) is hemorrhaging cash and students. Declining enrollment continues to plague the dis- trict, causing less state sup- port to flow into the district’s coffers. Meanwhile, TRSD is engaged in difficult negotia- tions with its teachers unions, and a May payment from the Oregon Dept. of Education (ODE) was far less than that imagined in even a worst- case scenario. These underlying issues hung like a cloud over the 2 1/2-hour TRSD Budget Committee meeting Monday night, June 4. Principals from the district’s schools joined committee members at TRSD administrative offices in Mur- phy to put their heads to- gether in search of solutions. However, easy answers proved elusive. TRSD Business Manager Dave Marshall stated that the district had approximately 5,470 students last Novem- ber. A population study com- missioned by TRSD pre- dicted that enrollment would drop to 5,338 during 2008 and 5,225 during 2009. But as of May 31, TRSD’s total en- rollment had already plum- meted to 5,260. Further complicating matters is the fact that TRSD lost 131 students during the last three months alone. “That is the dynamic for the Three Rivers School Dis- trict,” Marshall said. TRSD loses an average of 85 students per year, and lost a total of 262 this school year, causing a reduction of $1.6 million in funding. “That changes every- thing,” Marshall said. “There’s no precedent for that.” According to TRSD documents, Manzanita Ele- mentary School in Grants Pass experienced the biggest drop in enrollment, falling from 395 to 346 students be- tween May 2006 and May 2007. That represents a 12.4 percent decline. Also experiencing heavy losses are Wolf Creek Ele- mentary School, Applegate Elementary School, Lincoln Savage Middle School, Lorna Byrne Middle School and North Valley High School. Evergreen Elementary School, in Cave Junction, has the highest number of stu- dents among the district’s K- 5 schools. As of last month, Evergreen had approximately 461 students. However, it still experienced a slight percent- age drop. Only two of the district’s schools have gained students. Fruitdale Elementary in Grants Pass went from 301 to 304 students during the last year, and Hidden Valley High School went from 789 to 814, a 3.2 percent increase. TRSD Human Resources Director Debbie Breckner said that 35 staffing adjust- ments have been made to address the shortfalls. Those changes include a combina- tion of attrition and layoffs, along with the reshuffling of administrative staff. The proposed ‘07-’09 fiscal budget showed an end- ing fund balance of $763,000, which many budget commit- tee members said they found unacceptable. Committee members expressed a desire to have a $1.5 million ending fund bal- ance, but acknowledged that such a figure would have to come from further cuts. Superintendent Jerry Fritts proposed forming a “right-sizing” committee to examine how the district op- erates and what it can do to ensure its long-term survival. “There is a whole range of things we need to look at,” Fritts said. “We can’t just turn this around overnight.” Marshall said that the ‘07- ’09 proposed budget contained a $2.5 million gap between income and expenses, and that 80 percent of the budget goes toward staff salaries. Fritts said that any staff cuts would result in a higher student-to-teacher ratio. Ac- cording to Breckner, that ratio is already 29-1. Between 10 and 12 teaching positions would have to be cut to make up the $2.5 million difference, a scenario that none of the gathered administrators and committee members found acceptable. The possible reduction of school days and sale of the district’s surplus property also were broached as cost-saving measures. Fritts said that the district has at least three pieces of property that could net be- tween $500,000 and $1 mil- lion, and maybe more. But he reiterated that no single solution would solve TRSD’s collective woes. “There’s no magic an- swer,” Fritts said. “It will take the creative work of a lot of people to help us weather this storm.” TRSD Board Chairman Jim Weaver moved to ap- prove the budget as proposed. That motion was seconded by Budget Committee member Kevin Marr, but failed on a 4- PUBLIC NOTICE TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN Latva To Graduate Ben Latva, of Cave Junc- tion, will graduate Friday, June 15 with the Class of 2007 from Southwestern Ore- gon Community College in Coos Bay during commence- ment exercises on campus. OIT Honors Five From Illinois Valley Oregon Institute of Tech- nology at Klamath Falls has listed its top fall winter term scholars, who have attained Visa & st a M erCard Accepted minimum grade-point aver- ages of 3.30 to 3.69 while taking at least 12 credit hours. Those listed from Illinois Valley, and their majors: *Aaron Brooks, civil engineering. *Padraic Cotta, software engineering technology. *Kevin LaPierre, civil engineering. *Leo Chan, geomatics. *Gavin Starr, diagnostic medical sonography. C LEARWAY T RANSPORTATION E XCAVATION Free Estimates Excavation General Contractor CCB #166514 38600 DEQ • • • • • • • • • Certified Septic Installer Demolition, all structures Build Private Roads & Ditches Grade Correction Road Repair Utility Trenching & Hook-up Pads, Foundations & Footings Mobile Home Foundations Runners Block Skirting, Water/Sewer Hook-up Ponds, Arenas, Rock Hauling, etc. Need It Done! Charge It Call Jessie 597-2440 Monday though Saturday 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Josephine County Commissioners will con- duct informal meetings with pub- lic officials, county department heads and employees, and other citizens, every legal day, Monday through Friday, with the excep- tion of Wednesday, between the hours of 9:00 A.M. and 12:00 P.M. and 1:00 P.M. to 5:00 P.M., in Room 154 of the Josephine County Courthouse. On Wednes- days, the office hours are from 8:00 A.M. to 12:00 P.M. and 1:00 P.M. to 5:00 P.M. A daily sched- ule of all prearranged meetings will be posted each morning beginning at 8:00 A.M. from the Executive Secretary of the Board of Commissioners. The purpose of these meetings will be to gather information, discuss is- sues, and deliberate toward deci- sions concerning matters of pub- lic policy and concern. All inter- ested persons may attend said meetings except those desig- nated as “Executive Sessions.” In addition, notice of advisory board and commission meetings are also posted in the Commission- ers Office. DONE and DATED this 22nd day of Jan. 2005. JOSEPHINE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS Jim Raffenburg, Chair Dave Toler, Vice Chair Dwight Ellis, Commissioner Approved: Steve Rich Josephine County Legal Counsel PUBLISH ONCE A MONTH 4 vote. Marr then moved to ap- prove the proposed budget, but with three fewer school days that could later be rein- stated if the district’s finances improve. Budget Committee Chairman Linda DuBose seconded that motion. Fritts reminded commit- tee members to be mindful of the political implications of their decisions. And Marshall recommended against ap- proving the motion. “I don’t think three days are going to make a difference,” he said, adding that TRSD could face tremendous political fallout for cutting days. Marr’s motion failed unanimously following fur- ther discussion, at which point committee member Ivan Gall moved to adopt the budget as originally pro- posed. TRSD Board member Phil Stephens seconded the motion, which passed on a 7- 1 vote. DuBose was the lone dissenter. The TRSD Board of Di- rectors is scheduled to con- sider adopting the budget during its Monday, June 18 meeting. 30 years experience in water, sewer & pipeline construction, brush clearing, septic installation & utility line trenching Specializing in alternative septic systems READY TO DIG & AIMING TO PLEASE 24 HOURS A DAY 1-(541) 597-4486 CCB#159580 CHANGE A LIFETIME! RISE, Inc is looking for a few stellar families in Josephine County! 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