Thursday August 20,1981
More
Public Forum
47J responds to letter
To the Editor:
The August 13 issue of the
Vernonia Freedom contained a letter
to the editor from Ms. Roberta
Williams. The content of that letter
included a number of inaccurate
statements that do need correction.
Ms. Williams contends that the
state has only cut Vernonia School
District 47J Basic School Support by
a mere two percent. Actual Basic
School Support Fund receipts during
the 1980-81 school year were exactly
$683,590.29. The best estimate, as
supplied to the school district as of
August 12 by the State Department
of Education, for the 1981-82 school
year is $477,724.73. This is a decrease
of $205,865.56, or by any arithmetic,
a decrease of over 30 percent - not two
percent. That, however, only
represents the tip of the iceberg. Last
year the district received $24,592.60
in revenue sharing funds, this year’s
Newspaper accused of
false assumptions
To the Editor:
In response to your editorial of
August 13, concerning the school levy
failure, you made one assumption
that is obviously incorrect. You
equated a well rounded education
with the expenditure of large
amounts of money. If one looks at the
results of spending large amounts of
money on education in Vernonia, one
must conclude that in the past, those
large amounts of money have been
misspent. I am not against spending
money for education. However, I am
opposed to throwing money away. If
one looks at the quality of education
in Vernonia, one will find that there
are many high school graduates who
cannot read, write, or make change
for a dollar. I am opposed to spending
tax dollars for that sort of education.
Apparently, the school board suffers
from the same misconception as
yourself, as there seems to be little
thought put into how those tax
dollars are spent. I suggest that prior
to giving our students a * ‘well
rounded” education, we should spend
our tax dollars by teaching them to
read, write and count.
Richard D. Self
Vernonia
amount is zero - a decrease of 100
percent. The County School Fund
receipts of $4,855.59 last year are
anticipated to be $3,585 this year - a
decrease of over 35 percent. Federal
funding in special education and
lunch subsidies will also suffer drastic
cut-backs. Total revenues received by
the district last year from all sources
other than local property taxes were
$971,151.81.
Total
revenues
anticipated this year are $536,231.00,
a decrease of $434,920.81. If you add
even a modest amount for cost
increases because of inflation you can
readily see why this district must ask
for a special levy to offset those
losses. The amount of $242,195.00 on
the ballot for the September 15
election was only achieved by cutting
school
programs
such
as
homemaking, forestry, driver
education as well as athletics and
other activities.
Another glaring misconception in
the letter by Ms. Williams is that the
state is funding 40 percent of all
school costs. Basic School Support
payments for next year will represent
only 23 percent of District 47 J’s total
operating budget.
Ms. Williams did make one correct
statement which was headlined. She
says, “the school district is running
scared.” I frankly admit that
personally I am scared. I am very
much scared that the district will not
be able to operate a reasonable
educational program for a full term
this year. This last chance for voters
to approve the reduced tax levy is
September 15. Failure to secure voter
approval at that time would mean
that the district would be forced, to
cut an additional $242,195 from
school programs and services.
Ms. Williams also was critical of
the amount of water being used at
Washington Grade School on the
lawns. Experts tell me that it is much
more effective to soak a lawn area
thoroughly once a week than it is to
sprinkle lightly on a more frequent
basis. We are fortunate to live in a
city where water is plentiful and a
real bargain. Our total water bill for
Washington School for the month of
July was $52.98. Vernonia citizens
and the school staff have always
exhibited a great deal of pride in well
maintained schools. Please leave us a
little green grass to be proud of, there
may not be too much else left.
Arthur M. Parrow
Superintendent
Vernonia School District 47J
Continued From Page 1
47J rents shop
SCHOOL
LUNCH
PRICE
SCHEDULE. Grades 1-4 will now
pay 754 for their lunches while grades
5-8 will pay 854, grades 9-12 will pay
954 and reduced price students will
pay 404. Under the new price list
adult lunches will cost $1.35 each
while Special Milk in Vernonia will
cost 164 and 104 in Mist where the
state government picks up 94 on each
carton.
In other action, the board voted to
rescind extra duty contracts at the
high school with Karen Alvstad, Ilene
Grady, Mark Pettijohn, Ron Remsen,
Kathy Sevig, Jeff Smith and Steve
Calhoun. Board members say these
cutbacks were necessary. They also
voted, upon recommendation from
VHS Principal Randall Aultman, to
keep a third football coach for safety
and efficiency reasons. Ron Svenson
has been awarded the position.
The next school board meeting is
scheduled for 9 pm on August 27, at
the District 47 J offices.
Vernonia Freedom—Page 3
'71 grads plan reunion
The
Vernonia
High
School
graduating class of 1971 will hold it’s
10 year class reunion August 22,
1981, at the home of Rick and Shelly
Curl. It will be a potluck affair from 3
pm to 8 pm. The class will also be
inviting classmates from previous
years and teachers. For more
information, contact Marilyn Landers
at 429-4543.
Continued From Page 1
Gas well
county, that the interest earned on
mineral royalties be paid out under
the same formula used to disburse
principal payments rather than have
the interest go directly into the
county general fund.
The county now receives three-
sixteenths of the money realized on
any gas discovered within the county
and a flat $10 per year per acre rental
fee. Last year county revenue from
royalties and land rental exceeded
$3.5 million.
VALLEY VETERINARY
OUTPATIENT CLINIC
NEXT TO
SUNNYSIDE MARKET
2nd & 4th Thursdays
of each month
for information and
appointments
CALL 556-3084
We Specialize in
Indonesian Cuisine
NASI-GORENG
Indonesian Fried Rice & Sate’
BAMI-GORENG
Sato' It an
all moat
shithkebab
Fried Noodles & Sate’ 5
American and Seafoods
Closed Monday
Tues - Thurs: 6:00 am-8:00 pm
Beer & Wine Served
Friday: 6:00 am—9:00 pm
Saturday: 7:00 am 9:00 pm
Open For Breakfast
Hyw. 26 In Manning
Next to Arco Station
Sunday: 9:00 am-7:00 pm
324-0781
VERNONIA CLINIC
622 Bridge St.
429-2675
|
DR. W. EARL BUCHANAN
OPTOMETRIST
OFFICE HOURS:
9 am to 5 pm
Fridays only
ROBERT W. THOMPSON
D.M.D., P.C.
GENERAL DENTISTRY
OFFICE HOURS:
9 am to 5 pm
Monday and Friday
I
| Please renew my subscription to the
Vernonia Freedom
I Please enroll me as a new subscriber to the
Vernonia Freedom
(2) One year senior citizen (over 65)—$5
Name
__________________________________
Street__________________ ____________________ -
Appointments may be
made by Telephone on
Monday and Friday.
Examination and Estimates
Will barter and exchange
items of value for services
rendered.
City____________ ____________ _________________
Mailpayment to: Vernonia Freedom
825 Bridge St.
Vernonia, OB 97068