PAGE A2, KEIZERTIMES, MAY 22, 2020
School district plans furloughs to meet expected budget cuts
BY MATT RAWLINGS
Of the Keizertimes
With a 6-1 vote, the Sa-
lem-Keizer Public Schools
(SKPS) Board of Directors
approved a memorandum of
understanding with the Sa-
lem-Keizer Education Associa-
tion that outlines furlough days
for educators and some school
administrators.
The decision is expected to
affect more than 4,000 local
school employees and SKPS
is estimating they will save $8
million by the end of July.
Starting on Friday, May 22,
educators and teacher aides will
be taking one unpaid furlough
day per week until mid-June. A
number of administrators, in-
cluding Superintendent Chris-
ty Perry, are scheduled to have
their furloughs last until the
end of July.
Days will be staggered to
maintain the services being of-
fered by the district through the
end of the school year, such as
child care and meal distribution
— those workers will take their
furlough days on Monday.
“Every employee has to fur-
lough 20 percent,” Perry said.
It’s the beginning of a like-
ly number of cuts coming to
the district budget amid the
COVID-19 pandemic. During
a district budget meeting last
week, Perry shared that she is
expecting the district to be $48
million short of what was ex-
pected due to cuts in the state
school fund.
Although the motion near-
ly passed unanimously — with
the only opposing vote coming
from Paul Kyllo — there were
board members who were less
than thrilled about the decision.
“My personal opinion is that
it’s the wrong way to go. It’s go-
ing to have a horrible impact
on the community and what
we’re doing,” Kathy Goss said.
“But I really don’t have much
choice but for the good of the
order to vote along with the
majority.”
Danielle Bethell approached
the vote with some skepticism.
“It’s a tool in a toolbox that
we are being asked to use as
school board members, making
sure our kids receive the best
education in the long term. The
only reason I’ll will be support-
ing it is because I believe in the
efforts our teachers are doing
and I know that our kids are
going to need every ounce of
attention from every body we
MCFD1 levy failing, Keizer women
dominate election results
Voters were unconvinced
when it came to a local option
levy that would have bolstered
the personnel serving Marion
County Fire District No. 1 in
the early results from voter bal-
lots Wednesday, May 20.
The district sought the tax
increase from voters to help
cover a steady increase in call
volume during the past sev-
eral years. The additional cost
would have been roughly $4.67
per month (or $56 per year) for
the owner of a home assessed at
$200,000.
The measure was failing
with 54 percent of voters cast-
ing ballots against it at press
time.
In other elections, voters
threw a huge amount of sup-
port behind Keizer women in
primaries.
• Keizer resident Danielle
Bethell will face off against
Ashley Carson Cottingham
in the race for position 3 on
the Marion County Board of
Commissioners. Bethell, a Re-
publican, ran unopposed in the
primary. Cottingham, a Dem-
ocrat, appeared to have scored
a resounding victory over Dan
Norton in the primary. Cot-
tingham had 74 percent of the
vote at press time.
• Keizerite Kim Thatcher
won the Republican primary
to become Oregon’s Secretary
of State. She will face off against
Democrat state Sen. Mark Hass,
who appeared to have narrowly
edged out two opponents.
• Keizerite Amy Ryan
Courser easily won the Re-
publican primary to square off
against Rep. Kurt Schrader in
the general election to repre-
sent Oregon’s 5th District in
the U.S. House of Represen-
tatives. Courser was wining
with 52 percent of the vote
in a crowded fi eld. Schrader,
a Democrat, easily fended off
two challengers capturing 70
percent of the votes.
• Republican Bill Post and
Democrat Ramiro “RJ” Na-
varro will vie to represent
Keizer in the Oregon House of
Representatives. Both ran un-
opposed.
• Former Vice President Joe
Biden scored a walk-off win
in the Democratic presidential
primary. At press time, he had
the support of 67 percent of
Democratic voters. Sen. Ber-
nie Sanders, who is no longer
running for the offi ce, came in
second with 19 percent of the
vote.
can fi t in a building starting in
September,” Bethell said. “I be-
lieve that voting yes to support
this furlough to save money
now going into the future is a
critical tool and really the only
tool we have available to us.”
Fortunately for SKPS em-
ployees, the district is access-
ing a state program called the
CARES Act, which will pro-
tect as many instructional days
and staff positions as possible
for next school year, while pro-
viding current benefi ts for em-
ployees.
Under the CARES Act, dis-
trict staff would get $600 per
week in addition to unemploy-
ment — meaning that many
staff members, by being fur-
loughed, will make more than
their yearly salary.
The additional money won’t
come from the district, which
means that this will be a mon-
ey-saving strategy for SKPS.
The plan also doesn’t effect
employee health insurance or
retirement contributions.
Towards the end of the
meeting, Jesse Lippold was vo-
cal about why he thought this
was the right decision for the
district, even though it may
have some negative impacts
down the road.
“To say that there’s no re-
percussions would be a lie and I
think to say that there would be
other alternatives also wouldn’t
be true. There are defi nitely go-
ing to be long-term impacts on
this,” Lippold said. “We’re going
to have to end up paying for
this over time as taxpayers. All
of us are. For me personally, I’m
willing to take on that burden
… I think it’s really important
for teachers and students have
stability for next year.”
Man gets 25 years in death of 3 teens
By ERIC A. HOWALD
Of the Keizertimes
A Salem man was convicted on three counts
of fi rst-degree manslaughter and sentenced to 25
years for a collision on the Salem Parkway that
resulted in the deaths of three area teens.
Juan Rodriguez-Palacios, 26, was convicted in
a bench trial that ended Wednesday, May 6. Ro-
driguez waived his right to a jury trial in favor of
a verdict rendered by Judge Thomas Hart. Hart
issued a sentence of 25 years in prison Thursday,
May 14, and Rodriguez-Palacios will not be el-
igible for early release or alternative programs
during his sentence.
Rodriguez Palacios had left Tequila Nights, a
Keizer bar, on the evening of June 2, 2019. He re-
portedly had consumed multiple beers and used
marijuana and cocaine before getting behind the
wheel. He ran a red light going 85 mph at the
intersection of Cherry Avenue Northeast and the
Salem Parkway. His vehicle collided with a Toyo-
ta Camry carrying three teens – Trinity Watt, 19,
of Salem, Madison Capobianco, 19, of Salem, and
Makayla Tryon, 18, of Keizer – killing all of them.
Rodriguez-Palacios was also convicted of
driving under the infl uence and two counts of
third-degree assault. His blood-alcohol level after
the accident was .15, nearly twice the legal limit.
Video played during closing arguments
showed Palacios being questioned by a member
of the Salem Police Department. Prior to the
start of the questioning, Palacios was unaware the
three girls had been killed as a result of the ac-
cident. Once he was informed of the deaths, he
put his head on the table and wept. When offi -
cers left the room, he continued to sob and began
praying.
Rodriguez-Palacios has been previously con-
victed of reckless driving and failure to perform
the duties of a driver when property was dam-
aged in 2015. In that incident, Rodriguez-Pala-
cios hit a trailer – while driving with a blood-al-
cohol level of .17 – and fl ed the scene.
Three charges of recklessly endangering oth-
ers and driving under the infl uence were dropped
after he completed a diversionary program.
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