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About The Siuslaw news. (Florence, Lane County, Or.) 1960-current | View Entire Issue (May 4, 2016)
4 A ❘ WEDNESDAY EDITION ❘ MAY 4, 2016 Siuslaw News P.O. Box 10 Florence, OR 97439 RYAN CRONK , EDITOR ❘ 541-902-3520 ❘ EDITOR @ THESIUSLAWNEWS . COM Opinion Just the facts — Siuslaw School District’s bond measure I am writing to provide informa- tion about Bond Measure 20- 241 to build a new Siuslaw High School. The measure asks voters who live in the Siuslaw School District to approve a 25-year levy in the amount of $36.9 million. The bond would initially pay for the construction of a new high school. If funds remain after con- struction, the district would use funds to do safety and security upgrades in all facilities, provide technology and curriculum upgrades for K-12 and make energy-efficien- cy improvements at the elementary and middle schools. Monies from the bond cannot be used for any other purpose, such as salaries. Through our public listening ses- sions and through speaking to com- munity groups in our city, I have heard support for the building of a new school. I have also heard from members of our community who have suggested B Y E THEL A NGAL upgrading our S UPERINTENDENT , S IUSLAW S CHOOL D ISTRICT facility to meet cur- rent codes for seis- the state, prompted the mic, energy efficiency, ADA Siuslaw School Board to (Americans with Disabilities Act) place a bond measure on the requirements and safety concerns. Our Facilities Planning Committee, May 17 ballot. The district will receive $4 million in matching funds which is a broad-based community if we pass a bond measure in May group, held public meetings, evaluat- 2016. ed all sides of the issue and reported Recommending that the district their findings to the board. The com- mittee determined that building a new proceed with placing a bond issue on the ballot was not a decision facility on our current high school made lightly by our school board. grounds would be the most cost- The design of our current building effective option and would cause the is typical of many schools built in least displacement of students during the 1960s but falls short of the the process. demands for safety and efficiency That recommendation, coupled today. It is difficult to secure and with the Oregon Legislature’s monitor 16 points of entry. authorization of the release of $123 Open walkways and an outdoor million to stretch local dollars and address urgent facilities needs across snack bar are currently used for GUEST VIEWPOINT serving lunches prepared at the middle and ele- mentary schools because there is no on-site kitchen or cafeteria. Several classrooms have no windows or natural light. Science labs designed for 24 students must now accommodate up to 30 students. Plumbing is failing and the electrical systems are at maximum load. A remodel of the present high school is not practical. Seismic upgrades, installation of ADA com- pliant doors and elevator, safety improvements and other needed changes are estimated to cost 70 percent to 100 percent or more of new construction. Classrooms would still be crowded and Career and Technical Education classrooms could not be improved. If the bond is passed, the district will immediately do a request for pro- posals from architects. We will stipu- late that local businesses will be uti- lized as much as possible in the build- ing process and will establish a Financial Oversight Committee to work throughout the process. We will involve community mem- bers and staff in working on design and in trying to preserve some of our existing structures, such as the gym, auxiliary gym and auto serv- ice/manufacturing building in order to control costs. The cost to taxpay- ers over the life of the bond will be an estimated $1.20 per $1,000 of assessed value, or $0.31 over the current rate of $0.89/$1,000. I would like to thank our commu- nity for their thoughtful engagement in this process. It is part of the fabric of Florence that makes our commu- nity strong and helps us to keep moving forward. LETTERS the very real possibility that my husband and I will be forced out of our home because we will no longer be able to afford it. In what I consider a real slap in the face, the proponents have specifically excluded this bond from “compression.” That is the state legislation that protects property owners by placing a limit- ing cap on the amount of education taxes we have to pay. Et tu, Brute? Many other taxing entities have wish lists that will be coming every May, ad finitum. The coun- ty’s latest is 20-239, OSU Extensions funding, which is a great program too, and will also receive a no vote from me. Sorry, the ambulance, the sheriff, the schools and many others have beaten you to the punch. We may have to take a cue from California if we want to stay in our homes. Proposition 13, anyone? Mary Jo Leach Dunes City Casting a vote that matters An open letter to the Republican and Democratic parties in Oregon: As this primary election nears, I am experi- encing anger and frustration because I can’t vote for the candidates I choose. I am a registered non-partisan voter and do not want to join a party. That doesn’t mean that I don’t want to par- ticipate in this important primary. Only the Oregon Independent Party has opened their pri- mary to accept all voters, regardless of affiliation. Washington and California have totally open primary elections, which allow every voter the privilege of casting his vote for whomever he feels is best for the job. I have opinions and I care, but because the two main parties chose to limit voting for their candi- dates to party members, I can’t cast my vote for their candidates. And, about 25 percent of Oregonians are in the same situation. I won’t be bullied or cajoled into joining a major party, for my own reasons. But I would appreciate being able to cast a vote that matters. Democrats and Republicans — don’t you want our votes? This is a real loss for all. Judy Roth Florence Elect Woodbury I am writing to encourage my fellow residents to vote for Lane County Justice of the Peace can- didate Woody Woodbury. I have personally known Woody for many years and know him to be a community-driven individual who cares for others around him. It’s a quality often spoken about, but not always acted on by politicians. He is the owner of Grocery Outlet, a small business that offers food at a sub- stantial discount to citizens on a budget. Woody currently serves on the boards of the Florence Urban Renewal Agency and for Siuslaw Valley Fire and Rescue, both of which are entities that benefit the community. He is active as a community volunteer, particularly with Florence Food Share. Having previously served on the Florence Area Chamber of Commerce Board as both pres- ident and vice president, Woody has been active in business retention as well as helping business- es build foundations for success. He also serves on the board of the Good Deed Project Foundation, a community movement working to promote random acts of kindness. Are you seeing the pattern? It’s not just talk for Woody, he is the real deal: an honest person who at his core is unselfish and treats others with respect. I encourage everyone to visit his site Is it worth it? www.electwoodywoodbury.org and learn about his intentions on how best to serve Lane County as a Justice for the Peace. Please join me in voting to elect Woody Woodbury as Justice to the Peace for Lane County on May 17. Joshua Greene Florence Healthy schools Mapleton School District voters have an opportunity to support our students and schools with a bond to make major repairs and updates to the Mapleton High and Elementary schools. The future of our community depends on our having healthy schools. Here are six reasons to vote for the Mapleton bond: 1. Need: Our buildings are more than 65 years old. Planned improvements include new roofing and flooring, drainage control, new septic sys- tems, new siding, classroom updates and improvements in heating and air conditioning, sidewalks, accessibility and energy efficiency. 2. Safety: Sadly, recent national events have reinforced the need for more safety measures. Safety improvements would include secure entry points and additional exit doors in classrooms. 3. Value: The average assessment will be $15 per month, or 50 cents a day. This figure is based on the bond rate of $1.59/$1,000 of assessed value. 4. Bang for your buck: If the $4 million bond measure passes, the state will match it with another $4 million. The entire $8 million will be under the control of the Mapleton School District. If it fails to pass, the $4 million will go to another district. 5. No quick fix by closing Mapleton: It’s a common misconception that we will save bond money if Mapleton closes and is consolidated with another district. However, in that case Mapleton residents would be subject to any school bonds of that district and would lose local control over their schools. 6. Quality: Last year Mapleton High School’s graduation rate was the second best in Lane County. Small class sizes allow for individual student attention and a focus on learning and individual goals. Mapleton offers middle and high school athletics without “pay to play” fees. Please join me in voting “Yes” for the Mapleton School Bond. Kaki Burruss Deadwood Please vote no The Siuslaw school bond is a beautiful pipedream. I’d love to vote yes for all the reasons that have been enumerated by proponents, but the reality is I’m in my 70s, living in a 1960s moneypit that requires attention on a daily basis and I do not have this scale of resources to devote to this one element of our community. There, that’s it, the story of my life. I’d like to have done a lot of things, but many were not in my financial reach, and this bond isn’t either. Since this was proposed, I have been haunted by I have read the concerns regarding the new bond measure request to build a new Siuslaw High School and find that possibly the reasons for needing a new high school don’t sit well with most. I understand how educators would like to work in new digs and how students’ graduation rates may improve if they were to attain that diploma from a new high school, but is it worth the asking price? Let’s take a look at that for a minute. Is there any proof that building a new school will help protect our students from active shooters? From that some day quake? Or that the educators will work to graduate more than 30 percent of our high school students? Active shooters do not choose a school based on its age. A quake that hits an area doesn’t plan to hit on a school day while students just happen to be in a classroom. And, having paid off many bond measures in the Bend-Lapine school dis- trict, I’m pretty sure that the graduation rate did not increase with each of those new “golden seats.” If the bond measure passes, what will come of the old school? Will it be sold? Will it become admin offices? If it’s the latter, then I’m pretty sure it will work for the education of our youth rather than the administrators. If it will be sold, then the funds could go to reduce the bond cost to the landowners. Has anyone looked into changing the school model? The school model could be changed to a K-8 and a 9-12. Catherine Caudle Florence USPS# 497-660 Copyright 2016 © Siuslaw News Published every Wednesday and Saturday at 148 Maple St. in Florence, Lane County, Oregon. A member of the National Newspaper Association and Oregon Newspaper Publishers Association. Periodicals postage paid at Florence, Ore. Postmaster, send address changes to: Siuslaw News, P.O. Box 10, Florence, OR 97439; phone 541-997-3441; fax 541-997-7979. All press releases may be sent to PressReleases@TheSiuslawNews.com. 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