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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 7, 2016)
8A THE DAILY ASTORIAN • FRIDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2016 Schools: ‘We don’t have a lot of time to decide’ campus, but want less expen- sive alternatives to give the community options. Board Chairwoman Deb- bie Morrow said the district needs to hire a consultant to get the community’s pulse prior to going out for a bond. One challenge, Jeffery said, is that Seaside can point to an impending earthquake and tsunami as clear reasons to move schools, whereas War- renton faces more danger from looding. Board member Kelly Simonsen said the district also needs to be careful com- paring its situation with Sea- side’s $100 million ask for a new campus. “That might not be what we need,” she said. Continued from Page 1A years. Business Manager Mike Moha said the bond is similar to a loan on the full faith and credit of the district to repay. He said the district can afford it by redirecting the $135,000 or so spent each year on build- ing maintenance. The bond would help repair a leaking roof at Warrenton High School, potentially pur- chase property near the grade school for additional parking and fund the construction of up to seven new classrooms over the next ive years. Jeffery estimates the dis- trict’s enrollment will grow another 10 percent by then, with each new grade from this year going forward aver- aging nearly 90 students. “In ive years, temporary mea- sures will not work for us,” he told the school board last week during a meeting to chart the district’s future. A bigger bond? A small percentage of the $2 million bond will be used to prepare for a possible larger, voter-approved bond to accom- modate Warrenton’s future enrollment growth, which Jef- fery doesn’t see peaking until 2024-25 at 1,159 students. Danny Miller/The Daily Astorian Kindergartners exercise in the new multipurpose room Wednesday at Warrenton Grade School. The room was remodeled from two-thirds of the former library. “I’ve had several people come out and tell me you can pass a bond here no problem,” Jeffery told the school board last week. School board member Greg Morrill had his doubts the 5,500 residents of Warren- ton would be willing to shoul- der an amount similar to Sea- side’s bond of $100 million, which would cover an entirely new K-12 campus on higher ground. “It’s just really tough for an average voter in a small community to stomach those numbers,” Morrill said. “We have to be up front about what it would cost an average household annually.” Board members also dis- cussed scaled-back options, such as constructing a second story to double the space the middle school occupies inside the grade school, or moving the bus barn from the high school to create more class- room space. But any expan- sion requires more parking, which the district is already running short on. Multiple board members were open to moving the schools to an entirely new A return to Hammond? Until the early 1980s, sev- enth- and eighth-graders in Warrenton attended Fort Ste- vens Junior High School, located on a now-vacant lot just south of Fort Stevens State Park in Hammond. For- mer principal Dick Hellberg said the school was vacated after the district consolidated kindergarten through eighth grade at the grade school. But the need for more space has the district look- ing at a potential return to Hammond, or another use for the property. Jeffery said the property could work as a modular middle school with a multipurpose gym space. The former junior high’s gym was located on a nearby 1.5-acre lot the district also owns. The district had an appraisal for the larger prop- erty, still zoned for a school, done four years ago, showing little value. But Morrill said the property could prove quite valuable if rezoned residen- tial, subdivided and sold off. The county owns a soc- cer ield west of the intersec- tion of Ridge Road and Eighth Street, a short drive from the grade school. Morrill said the district could also get more space by reaching out to the county about building a track around the ield, allowing the district to utilize the ield at the grade school. Five years may seem like a long time, Jeffery said, but the district will need all of it to ensure class space in the short-term, plan for and secure a bond and construct whatever long-term solution it inds. “We don’t have a lot of time to decide,” he said. “Every month we wait, the enrollment keeps increasing.” Debate: Next gubernatorial debate is Thursday in Medford Continued from Page 1A reforming land-use laws to give counties more control over the cost of land and growth of urban growth boundaries. He said local governments also should to relax design stan- dards and fees for affordable house. “Otherwise, we won’t have affordably built hous- ing,” Pierce said. Brown said expanding urban growth boundaries wouldn’t solve the problem. She cited a $70 million package passed earlier this year that dedicated money to building affordable hous- ing and giving assistance to homeowners to avoid fore- closure. Lawmakers also lifted a ban on local juris- dictions requiring afford- able units in exchange for certain perks such as tax exemptions. Brown promised to fight for more funding for afford- able units and to outlaw no-cause evictions in the 2017 legislative session. Thomason said the $70 million housing package would finance less than 1,000 units. Thousands of more are needed to address the housing shortage. He proposed subsidizing $20 per square foot on the first 500 square feet of con- struction on affordable hous- ing with guarantee of rents at $600 to $800 for units. “We can build our way out of this,” while stimulat- ing job growth, he said. Graduation rates Moving on to the state’s low graduation rate, Miller noted that Oregon ranks 32nd in the nation for per-pupil funding levels, according to Governing magazine. “Setting money aside for the time being, what else do you think is wrong with Ore- gon education?” Miller asked. Thomason suggested giv- ing all high school sopho- mores the GED test to give them “a sense of accomplish- ment” and the ability to access jobs and higher education if they leave school without a graduation diploma. Pierce said he would push for more teacher and lead- ership training and give stu- dents tracks to pursue in high school, including vocational training and university. Brown touted the Legis- lature’s investment in early education and STEM (sci- ence, technical, engineering and math) education and said her new graduation guru Colt Gill — a new position she cre- ated – would be coming up with more concrete plans for addressing the problem. PERS During the debate, Brown and Pierce clashed again over the $21 billion unfunded Pub- lic Employees Retirement System. Both repeated argu- ments they’ve made at past debates. Pierce has proposed rolling back future beneits for current and future employees to help scale back the state’s debt. He noted that Oregon is unique in requiring no contri- bution from employees. “When I hear his pro- posals, I hear lawsuit, law- suit, lawsuit … back on the hamster wheel,” Brown responded. Brown has said there are no apparent options to solve the unfunded liabil- ity apart from giving the Ore- gon Investment Board more power to get a greater return on the state’s investments. Domestic violence Miller also brought up Pierce’s comment at a Sept. 30 debate at the City Club of Portland suggesting success- ful women aren’t victims of domestic abuse. Pierce apol- ogized again for his assertion, saying he has since studied up on domestic violence and knows it can happen to anyone. Brown replied that she leaves it to voters to decide whether they “want some- one who just spent the week- end learning about this issue or someone who has been investing her time and energy and resources in increasing penalties and making sure there were more resources available for more domestic violence services.” A recording of the debate will be broadcast at noon and 8 p.m. Friday on OPB. The next gubernatorial debate is sched- uled for Thursday in Medford. SUPPORT FOR FAMILY CAREGIVERS Court: Nondisparagement clause included in Barnett’s retirement Continued from Page 1A with him in ongoing prosecu- tions because of doubts about his credibility. In Shah’s brief with the appeals court, he noted that the 9th Circuit has upheld abso- lute immunity for prosecutors whose professional evalua- tion of a potential witness was “harsh, unfair or clouded by personal animus.” Absolute immunity, Shah argues, applies to civil rights claims and “protects defendants regardless of any improper motive or result.” Sean Riddell, a Portland attorney representing Barnett, said in his brief that Marquis retaliated against Barnett for his free speech and led Sea- side Police to curtail his work assignments and future eco- nomic potential, essentially attempting to end his career. “Defendants should not be permitted to hide behind abso- lute immunity for unethical conduct,” Riddell wrote. Barnett, a veteran Seaside Police oficer, was a longtime detective before becoming a patrol sergeant. He was pro- moted to lieutenant last year. Barnett received a $20,000 cash payment from the city when he retired in March. The agreement included a nondis- paragement clause that applied to both Barnett and city lead- ers and precluded the city from speaking about the former ofi- cer’s character or reputation. This Place If you’re managing medications for an older adult, there’s help. Medication management can be complex but it is an important part of providing care for your loved one. You don’t have to do it alone – Oregon Care Partners can help. In our free, online or in-person classes, you’ll learn: • How medicines efect older adults, including risk factors, age-related changes and adverse medication side efects Classes ofered online and in-person at NO COST to you Funded through the State of Oregon • The importance of regular medication reviews A community conversation about power, place, home, and belonging • How to manage medications for people living with dementia including the importance of non-medicine interventions Visit OregonCarePartners.com to get started today. A little help can make a big diference – for your loved one, and for you. COMING SOON TO ASTORIA The following events are part of the This Place series happening across the state this fall: October 8: Tillamook 1:00 p.m., Tillamook County Pioneer Museum Safe Medication Use in Older Adults October 19, 1:00pm-5:00pm • Holiday Inn Express Learn more and register for this free class at OregonCarePartners.com. Family members, all levels of caregivers and walk-ins welcome. CEUs ofered for professionals. October 14: Astoria 6:00 p.m., Astoria Public Library To learn more, visit oregonhumanities.org www.OregonCarePartners.com 1-800-930-6851 • info@oregoncarepartners.com
