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East Oregonian
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Measles cases rise to 26
in Washington outbreak
Legislators back plan to spend $3B more on schools
By PARIS ACHEN,
AUBREY WIEBER and
CLAIRE WITHYCOMBE
Oregon Capital Bureau
when an infected person
coughs or sneezes. It can
remain in the air for up to
two hours in an isolated
space.
Those who may have
been exposed should watch
for early symptoms of fever
and malaise and then a rash
starting on the head and
moving down the body,
Lindquist said. “You feel
miserable,” he said.
While many people feel
like measles are not a big
deal, officials are concerned
because serious complica-
tions such pneumonia and
brain infections can arise,
Lindquist said. He also
urged people who have not
received the vaccine to get
it now.
Those who are infected
have visited public places
while contagious, including
the Portland International
Airport, health care facili-
ties and schools.
The Clark County Pub-
lic Health said Thurs-
day the people newly con-
firmed to have measles
have stayed home, prevent-
ing additional exposures to
the public. County officials
on Friday declared a public
health emergency over the
outbreak.
People who think they
may have the measles are
asked to contact their health
care provider before visiting
to avoid exposing others.
By LISA BAUMANN
Associated Press
SEATTLE — Health
officials have confirmed
26 measles cases in west-
ern Washington in an out-
break that began earlier this
month.
In Clark County, where
the outbreak has been cen-
tered, the number of cases
rose to 25 as of Thursday,
with a dozen more sus-
pected cases under investi-
gation, said Dr. Scott Lind-
quist, epidemiologist for
communicable
diseases
with the Department of
Health.
King County also con-
firmed one case this week
involving a man in his 50s
who had recently visited
Clark County, he said.
“We usually have five
cases or less a year,” he said.
“At this point, we’re expect-
ing it to move across the
state.”
Twenty-one of the peo-
ple infected were not immu-
nized, according to officials.
The others are not verified
to have had the vaccine.
Nineteen of the Clark
County cases involve chil-
dren younger than 10. Five
cases involve those from 11
to 18, and one infected per-
son is between 19 and 29
years old.
Measles is a highly con-
tagious viral illness spread
Friday, January 25, 2019
A small group of legisla-
tors spent a year compiling
their wish list of improve-
ments to Oregon’s failing
education system. Now they
have five months to whittle it
down to something realistic,
find a way to fund it and sell
the rest of their colleagues
on spending up to $3 billion
more on K-12 education. The
state currently spends about
$8.2 billion.
“We only get one chance
to educate our children,”
said state Rep. Greg Smith,
R-Heppner. “They’re only in
first grade once, they’re only
in 10th grade once. We need
to take advantage of that
opportunity.”
A report released Thurs-
day details the wish list a
legislative committee com-
piled after a summer of
hearings and tours around
Oregon. The report echoes
much of what the commit-
tee already has said pub-
licly is needed to improve
schooling for Oregon’s chil-
dren. That includes a longer
school year, more state-paid
preschool, diversity among
teachers and smaller class
sizes.
It also shows lawmak-
ers have learned from past
mistakes.
“Historically, the school
state fund has not come with
Forecast for Pendleton Area
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Pamplin file photo
Sen. Lew Frederick talks with Portland students in Septem-
ber 2018 during a tour of the state by the Joint Committee on
School Success.
strings attached,” said state
Rep. Barbara Smith Warner,
D-Portland, co-chair of the
Joint Committee on School
Success. “What we are try-
ing to do is to ... tie this fund-
ing to outcomes. It’s not just,
let’s put more money in the
state school fund.”
That means school dis-
tricts around Oregon might
have to agree to measurable
improvements to get and
keep extra state money.
The state would work
with districts to come up
with tailored plans. What
works in a large, urban
school might not be right
for a school of just a couple
hundred students, legisla-
tors said. If the districts fol-
low through on the plan and
see improvement, the state
would continue paying for
their initiatives.
“We want to focus on
outcomes-based funding,”
Smith Warner said. “…What
is most responsive to your
community’s needs, and
how you’re going to mea-
sure your success and how
we’re going to measure your
success.”
The proposals would
transform Oregon’s school
system in every way, from
how the state intervenes
with toddlers at risk of abuse
to technical training for high
school seniors who aren’t
college bound. Fewer kids
would go hungry and more
children in poverty would be
able to go to preschool under
the new plan.
The lawmakers empha-
sized bolstering services for
low-income families with
young children, starting the
help at infancy.
“Kids in crisis can’t
learn,” Smith Warner said.
“We have students all across
the state, urban, rural, from
the biggest schools to the
smallest, that have had sig-
nificant trauma. They’re fac-
ing food insecurity, housing
insecurity. The schools need
to deal with that.”
In that vein, legislators
want to expand Early Head
Start. It provides full-day
programs for infants and
toddlers from low-income
families but is only available
to 2,064 kids of the 25,000
eligible.
The group found the state
wasn’t adequately funding
early intervention and early
childhood special education.
Full funding would cost an
additional $37.5 million per
year.
The legislators also pro-
pose propping up Oregon’s
most needy families. Com-
mittee members found state
programs provide home
visits to only 10 percent of
30,000 at-risk families who
need such services.
The 84-page report stops
short of outlining how to pay
for all of these ideas. They
have punted those questions
to three smaller groups of
lawmakers who on Thurs-
day will sort out the details,
including how to pay for
these changes.
Lengthening the school
year and limiting class sizes
are among the most expen-
sive recommendations.
Committee
members
found Oregon’s school year,
which ranges from 150 days
to 170 days, isn’t enough.
They would like to reach the
national average of 180 days.
But adding those days
would cost an estimated
$258 million per year.
And caps on class sizes
— which would range from
20 in kindergarten and first
grade to 29 for core aca-
demic glasses in grades 6
through 12 — would cost
about $185 million per year.
Smith said he supports
the committee’s requests—
but it’s not clear if his fellow
Republicans agree.
In an interview this week,
Senate Republican Leader
Herman
Baertschiger,
R-Grants Pass, dismissed
the notion that more funding
means better education.
“I see private schools hav-
ing less money but having
better results,” Baertschiger
said. “I’m trying to figure
out what’s going on here.”
HERMISTON TEMPERATURE FORECAST
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OREGON FORECAST
ALMANAC
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Salem
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50/34
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46/27
PRECIPITATION
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$3.4 million suit contends
state agency neglect caused
teen’s death
PORTLAND (AP) — Attorneys for
a Warrenton boy killed in 2017 are suing
Oregon’s child welfare agency, alleging
the state failed to prevent the 15-year-old’s
death.
The Oregonian/OregonLive reports the
lawsuit filed Tuesday seeks $3.4 million for
the surviving relatives of Trevor Secord.
The Warrenton High School student
died in January 2017 after a pickup truck
WINDS (in mph)
Caldwell
Burns
52°
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Albany
51/35
through 3 p.m. yest.
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Pendleton 44/26
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Trace
2.07"
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HERMISTON
Enterprise
46/33
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49/33
Aberdeen
37/27
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Tacoma
Yesterday
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struck and killed him while he was drink-
ing with friends.
The lawsuit alleges case workers at the
Department of Human Services ignored
red flags before he died.
Trevor was hospitalized in August 2016
for alcohol poisoning with a blood alcohol
level more than five times the legal limit for
adults but the complaint says a case worker
decided not to investigate further. The law-
suit identifies Trevor by a different last
name, Crossgrove.
A spokesperson for the child welfare
agency didn’t immediately respond to a
message seeking comment.
In the Wednesday story “Student ropes in online education,” Marie Shimer was mis-
identified. She is the director of educational services at the Morrow County School
District. The EO regrets the error.
CORRECTIONS: The East Oregonian works hard to be accurate and sincerely
regrets any errors. If you notice a mistake in the paper, please call 541-966-0818.
SUN AND MOON
Klamath Falls
Sunrise today
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