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August 18, 1999
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CTije P o rtla n d fflb s e m r
City Funds Will Save Portland
Teachers & Summer School
P ortland P ublic S chools will
be able to save classroom teach­
ers, avoid increases in class sizes
and operate summer school next
year, thanks to an infusion o f S3
m illion from the city o f Portland
approved by the City Council to­
day. “ The M ayor and City Coun­
cil m em bers has e once again dem­
onstrated their com m itm ent to the
children o f this com m unity,” Su­
perintendent Ben C anada said
"They recognize the importance
o f strong schools to a strong com ­
munity. We are extrem ely grate­
ful for their assistance and will use
the city’s resources very prudently.
The $3 m illion approved by the
city includes $2.6 million for class­
room teachers. City council di­
rected the district to set aside the
other $400,000 for the 2000-2001
middle school summer program,
which the city funded this year.
The City Council, acknowledging
that the district faces another bud­
get deficit next year, urged Gov.
John K itzhaber to approve the lo­
cal option legislation. This legis­
lation, currently aw aiting his sig­
nature, would allow school dis­
tricts to ask local voters for a lim ­
ited increase in property tax rev­
enues to fund schools. Ifapproved
by the G overnor, Portland Public
Schools could hold a local option
election next spring to raise funds
for the 2000-2001 school year.
"W e appreciate the c ity ’s leader­
ship in urging the G overnor to sign
this legislation,” Canadasaid. "We
believe the citizens o f Portland
support their school and want the
opportunity to save their schools
form further cuts."
Funding Still Needed
to Save Math
Program
The City C ouncil’s $2.6 m il­
lion contribution for the current
year still leaves the school year
district short o f the $7 million
needed to balance its 1999-2000
budget. Canada said the district’s
next highest priority is to fund the
new math program and math text­
books, budgeted at $3.4 million.
We believe w e’ll be able to save
the math program through a com ­
b in a tio n o f re v e n u e s from
M ultnom ah County, a federally
guaranteed bond, and further cuts
in other district programs,” Canada
said. Just last week, the district
received an approval for a no-in­
terest, long-term federally guar­
anteed bond that can be used for
purchasing math textbooks. By
taking advantage o f the bond op­
tion, the district can save $ 1.2 m il­
lion, reducing the cost o f the $3.4
m illion math program to $2.2 mil-
lion. Portland school officials have
been negotiating with M ultnom ah
County for several months to sell
space in the school d istric t’s ad ­
m in istra tiv e o ffice, at 501 N
D ix o n S tre e t, to the c o u n ty .
County officials have said they
expect to spend about $3.5 m illion
on the deal. The d istric t’s 1999-
2000 budget already has factored
in $2 m illion in revenue from the
sale o f space to the county. If the
county pays the districts 3.5 m il­
lion, the district will apply the
additional $1.5 m illion tow ard the
$2.2 m illion required for the math
program. To fund the entire math
program and make up for the re­
maining budget shortfall, the d is­
trict will be forced to identify an­
other $1.7 m illion in cuts from its
budget. " If the county sale nets us
$ 1.5 m illion for the math program ,
1 will direct my staff to identify an
additional $1.7 m illion in cuts to
balance the budget," Canada said.
"T h at’s a very difficult task, be­
cause we already cut $5 m illion
from last year's program s to get us
to the budget w e’ve got," Canada
said. “ This continues to point to
the need for a long term funding
solution,” Canada said. "W e en­
courage our elected leaders to work
on a solution, for the benefit o f all
children in this state.”
Coast Guard Probes Phony Call
The C oast Guard is on a search
o f its own today, trying to find out
who m ade a phony d istress call
Tuesday night. A young boy was
heard m aking three separate calls
about his boat being on fire in
Q uaterm aster Harbor. The Coast
G uard responded w ith a helicop­
ter and a sm all patrol boat and
found nothing. O ther boats in the
area reported they saw nothing
unusual either. The C oast G uard
says it spent thousand o f dollars
on the fake call.
Cemetery Preservationists Meet
A conference is under way at
Reed C ollege in southeast Port­
la n d fo r th e A s s o c ia tio n fo r
G ravestones, a group devoted to
the p reservation o f gravestones
and cem eteries.
A ttendees have already visited
the Lone F ir cem etery, w hich
dates back to the 1850s, for a
w orkshop on how to clean grave­
stones.
The association deals w ith the
basics o f preservation issues —
use o f culture, fam ily and history.
The association m em bers and
conference attendees will help re­
store the gravestones as vital h is­
torical sources o f past individu­
als and fam ilies.
EDUCATION CRISIS TEAM
Upcoming meetings:
Thursday, August 12,1999
and
Thursday, August 26,1999
7:00 p.m.
Self Enhancement, Inc.
3920 North Kerby Avenue
Portland, Oregon 97227
♦ The Urban League, Self Enhancement, Inc., the Albina Ministerial
Alliance and the Black United Front are forming Education Crisis
Teams to reverse the educational crisis that is crippling our children.
♦ Please join us on August 12th and August 26th. We will discuss
specific steps our community must take to rapidly improve our
children’s poor academic performance. The plan’s dual focus is on
holding Portland Public Schools accountable for providing children a
quality education and the development of a community-wide
mobilization to address this education emergency.
♦ All participating organizations agree this education crisis is causing
irreparable harm to children and severely limiting their future. This
crisis is impairing the ability of children, families and our
community to successfully compete in today’s technology-based
economy.
♦ Our choice is clear, respond to this emergency and take the necessary
steps to prevent our children from joining the growing ranks of
dropouts and high school graduates that possess few marketable
skills.
♦ Please plan to attend these meetings. Our children need ns, we have
promises to keep.
Former Clinton Nominee to
Head State’s Vocational
Rehabilitation Division
The Oregon Department of Human
Resources has selected nationally recog­
nized rehabilitation services to be the
state’s Vocational Rehabilitation services
administrator. Bobby Simpson. 48.
conies to the DII R troni Arkansas where
he most recently was the Commissioner
ofRehabilitation Services in the Depart­
ment of Workforce Education and Ca-
reerOpportunities. Bobby Mink,deputy
directorofDl 1R, said Simpson lias more
than 20 years of professional experience
in the field o f v ocational rehabilitation
services. "Bobby has had the unique
experience ofbeing an advocate, admin-
istratorandconsumerofvocational reha­
bilitation services,” said Mink. “He has
the expertise and vision to lead Oregon's
Vocational Rehabilitation Division into
the new millennium." In 1999,Simpson
was nominated by President Clinton to
serve as Commissioner of the Rehabili­
tation Services Administration in Wash­
ington. D.C., but declined the appoint­
ment and remained in his position in
Arkansas. While in Arkansas. Simpson
helped to restructure the state’s rehabili­
tation agency and implemented a team
approach for both administration and
service delivery. "I am a firm believer in
the team approach to providing services
to support people with disabilities to be
employed an independent,” said
Simpson. “I see this administrative role
in Oregon as an opportunity within one
of the best integrated human services
FAST
systems." Simpson has a bachelor’s
degree in psychology from Hardin
Simmons University m Abilene. Texas
andamaster’s in counseling from Texas
Univ ersity in 1 ubbock. At the age of 18,
Simpson was injured in an automobile
acc ident and has since used a w heelchair.
"1 hav e been a full-time employee since
1974," said Simpson. "With the right
assistance, resource and attitude, I be­
lieve that a person's dreams of indepen­
dence and employment can be realized. ”
Simpson succeeds Joil Southwell, who
retired in February Simpson begins his
role as admmistratorofVRD on Septem­
ber. 7. His office will be in the Human
Resources Building in Salem. His an­
nual salary is $91.000.
T R IP
Is H a v in g A
G R A
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August 2 6 th Through September 2 nd
W W W
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Bishop A.A. Wells . . . Tony Hopson . . . Lawrence Dark. . . Ronnie Herndon
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