SIUSLAW NEWS | WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 28, 2019 | 9A
PAC from page 1A
That contention, as
well as the divided pub-
lic response to the mural,
directly resulted in a June
decision by the city coun-
cil to either more firmly
control the operation and
procedures of the PAC
and its members or elim-
inate the committee alto-
gether.
Since that June deci-
sion, the Florence City
Council has allowed PAC
to operate under city aus-
pices for 90 days, giving
the current members of
PAC that amount of time
to work on an update to
its by-laws, which govern
PAC responsibilities and
contributions to the city
art collection.
Harlen Springer, the
current chairperson for
PAC, has been the sub-
ject of accusations of
unprofessional behavior
by Henry and City Coun-
cilor Geraldine Lucio,
regarding comments he
made to a Eugene televi-
sion station.
Springer has denied
acting or speaking inap-
propriately and contin-
ues to advocate for an
independent and self-di-
rected group. As such, he
has remained involved in
the work done by PAC,
unlike other members of
the committee, some of
who have resigned due to
the tumult surrounding
the mural.
Springer has worked
over the past month to
formulate a path forward
for PAC without relin-
quishing the progress
made by the commit-
tee during the past four
years.
According to Springer,
he remains committed
to maintaining a vital,
more-inclusive public art
component to the city’s
work plan and is using
the 90-day window to
re-imagine the way in
which the PAC operates
within the overall um-
brella of city authority.
At last Monday’s pub-
lic work session, Spring-
er provided his goals in
rewriting the PAC By-
Laws.
“[Our goals] include
improved communica-
tions with the city coun-
cil and recognition of the
role of the PAC under the
city council, along with
improved and updated
public outreach pro-
cesses to ensure broad
public exposure to key
PAC activities. Also, an
improved selection pro-
cess on all major projects
to involve more stake-
holders,” Springer said.
“These are significant
upgrades to the PAC
process and we believe
the result will be a clos-
er working relationship
with the council — and
an improved information
flow to the public. We are
currently finalizing the
documents and plan to
present them at a Council
work session.”
The next PAC work
session is tentatively set
for Oct. 7, and the next
PAC meeting is Sept. 23.
All city work sessions
and committee meetings
are open to the public.
ACT from page 1A
“Education Governance:
Creating a seamless edu-
cation infrastructure that
meets the diverse learning
needs of Oregonians from
birth through college and
career.”
The education discussion
was one of the first of the
conference and one of the
centerpiece presentations of
the day.
Oregon Sen. Arnie Ro-
blan was the Oregon Coast-
al Caucus member who
moderated the panel, and
his positive take on the new
bill was reflected in the ma-
jority of comments made by
panel members.
The discussion group
consisted of education pro-
fessionals from both the
state and the private sector,
who shared observations
with those in attendance at
the workshop.
The speakers on the pan-
el shared data showing that
many of the state’s students
are not receiving the edu-
cational support needed to
prepare them for the future
demands of an ever-chang-
ing work force.
Colt Gill, the Deputy Su-
perintendent of Public In-
struction and the Director
of the Oregon Department
of Education, was the lead
speaker of the panel.
His assessment of the
Student Success Act was
positive, primarily because
the bill was written after a
number of education town
meetings were held across
the state to assess and rec-
ommend changes to the way
Oregon educates its young
people.
“They listened really
carefully, and they designed
a bill, The Student Suc-
cess Act, that really comes
through with what they
heard across the state of Or-
egon, and also recognized
that the solutions look dif-
ferent in different commu-
nities in our state,” Gill said.
“They built in a lot of flexi-
bility for local communities,
school districts and other
learning hubs to be able to
implement them differently
in different communities to
meet the needs there.”
Gill said he is a product
of the Oregon education
system, having been a spe-
cial education student when
younger and later graduat-
ing from the University of
Oregon. His experiences
as a special education stu-
dent and the wide array of
parents, teachers and stu-
dents he and his staff have
met with while crafting the
Student Success Act has in-
formed his position as Ore-
gon’s leading educator.
“The schools are not
serving every community
well, though, and where we
are failing in many ways
are serving our students
of color, our students with
disabilities, our bilingual
students, our tribal com-
munities and those students
that are navigating poverty,
homelessness or the foster
care system,” Gill said.
Locally,
the
Siuslaw
School District is struggling
with the prospect of return-
ing to the voters with anoth-
er request for approval of a
bond to upgrade and replace
some of the district’s aging
structures. The passage and
implementation of the Stu-
dent Success Act gives the
district a clear sense of the
available funding for the
next fiscal year and beyond.
“The education panel was
laying out the bigger pic-
ture for public education
in Oregon for the future,”
said Siuslaw School Dis-
trict Superintendent Andy
Grzeskowiak. “Much of the
work will be done through
Get Results...List With Mike.
Mike Blankenship
Broker
541 991-7826
See Jim for your auto sales needs!
2150 Hwy. 101 • Florence
(541) 997-3475 • 1-800-348-3475
Hwy 126 #2603 - Excellent op-
portunity for builders and inves-
tors. When a conditional use
permit is obtained and passed
by the City Planning commis-
sion, this property can be split
into three residential lots that
would allow the building of 3
SF residences or 3 duplexes.
$64,500. #3007-19244619
1749 Highway 101 • 541-997-1200
expanding services in typi-
cal K-12 school districts to
increase opportunities and
ways to learn for all students
in Oregon. In essence, many
districts will take on supple-
mental work to support ear-
ly and extended learned as
well as diversifying oppor-
tunities during the school
day for all.
“There is a sizable portion
of the Student Success Act
funds set aside for career
and technical education, as
well as college readiness,
and then smaller portions of
the act support school ser-
vices and safety to enhance
the learning environment.
In many smaller commu-
nities, without ready access
to county or state resourc-
es, local schools will serve
many needs and roles that
were once outside of educa-
tion. Services that were cut
are being restored and now
housed under one roof.”
There are some aspects of
the Student Success Act that
have been controversial, pri-
marily because the money
collected for the act is com-
ing from businesses. The act
requires all Oregon busi-
nesses that have commercial
activity above $1 million to
pay a $250 and .057 percent
tax on revenue.
Earlier this legislative
session, Republicans were
determined to squelch de-
bate and opposed a vote by
staging a coordinated walk-
out during the legislative
session dedicated to the act.
These walkouts were re-
ported nationally, and the
impasse was finally resolved
when House and Senate
Democrats, who have the
majority in both bodies and
therefore control the legisla-
tive agenda, agreed to defer
action on gun control and
vaccine requirements.
The act also reduces the
personal income tax rates
for three of the state’s lowest
income brackets.
Another important com-
ponent of the law is the es-
tablishment of a “Fund for
Student Success.”
The tax changes that
fund the act will take effect
in 2020 and pay for a series
of initiatives to address the
underserved in the student
community, according to
Gill.
“The act has 12 entirely
new programs for students
in Oregon and enhances
and grows 16 others. It pro-
vides all kinds of new ser-
vices in early learning and
assistance for children and
families,” he said. “The Stu-
dent Investment Accounts
will provide funds so school
districts can increase in-
structional time and reduce
class size or case-loads. It
addresses student health
and safety in a number of
different ways, implement-
ing a more well-rounded
education.”
Locally,
Grzeskowiak
feels the Student Invest-
ment accounts will be an
added benefit for students,
although the changes in
funding and program focus
will take some time to make
their way to the individual
schools across the state.
“The Student Success Act
funds and any staffing or
program changes will take
a few years to phase in. The
district started with some
last year and this year, using
the funds guaranteed at that
time for budget planning.
The rest of the act’s funds
role out in January, so much
of this year will be reviewing
needs and planning,” Grz-
eskowiak said. “The needs
planning began last year
during the budget process.
It will take some time to
see the payoffs for these in-
vestments. The younger the
grade level that funds are
dedicated to typically means
a longer time before results
are seen, but targeting in-
terventions and services for
younger learners tends to be
a more efficient use of re-
sources. … When students
are more prepared to learn
and grow earlier in their
education, they can make
more use of the expanded
opportunities at the middle
and high school levels.”
According to Gill, there
are some overriding long-
term goals guiding the cre-
ation and implementation
of the Student Success Act:
equity, engagement and ac-
countability.
“We are holding onto
these three principals, or
values, as we drive imple-
mentation to our districts
and throughout our com-
munities. We held onto
these three values because
we read them through the
multiple pages of the sur-
veys and we see these needs
repeated over and over
again,” he said.
For more information
about the Student Success
Act, visit olis.leg.state.
or.us/liz/2019R1/Measures/
Overview/HB3427.
7th Annual
8
201
Florence Area
VOTED
F
E
BEST O
F LO E N C
R
541•999•6078
PETERSENAUTODETAIL
@GMAIL.COM
September -, 2019
FACEBOOK.COM/PETERSENAUTODETAIL
How To Participate
The fee to participate is $20. An ad for the Community Wide Garage Sale with a map of all participation
sales will be published in the Siuslaw News on September th and th. Because of print deadlines,
the registration deadline is 5pm Thursday August 2019.
<RXZLOODOVRUHFHLYHWZRRI¿FLDO&RPPXQLW\:LGH*DUDJH6DOHVLJQVDVZHOODVDWLSVKHHWRQKRZWRKDYHDJUHDWVDOH
Maps will be available in the Siusalw News, online and at the Florence Visitors Center.
Please post signs only on private property with the owner’s consent.
Posting signs on City utility poles, street or signal light poles, and median strips is against the municipal code.
Name ____________________________________Phone____________________________
Address___________________________________Email____________________________
Subdivision name (if any) ____________________________________
Dates (CIRCLE):
Times:
Friday 9/
Saturday 9/
Sunday 9/
___________
___________
___________
15-word description:( Date, times and address are included. Addition words over 15 are $0.50 each.)
Add’l Words
___________
___________
___________
___________
___________
___________
___________
___________
___________
___________
___________
___________
___________
___________
___________
___________
___________
___________
___________
___________
Bring form and payment to 148 Maple St in HIstoric Old Town or
mail to Siuslaw News PO Box 10, Florence, OR 97439
Call 541-902-3526 |IORUHQFHFKDPEHUFRP
Deadline is August th at 5pm to be included on the map.
Saturday Only
9am-2pm
5043 South Jetty
Tools, RV stuff, puzzles, crafts, house-
hold misc. Priced to sell.
Thurs.-Fri., 8/29-8/30
9am-4pm
87821 Highway 101
Misc. household items,
some antiques.
Estate Sale
Fri.-Sat., 8/30-8/31
10am-4pm
1650 18th Street
Both inside & Out
Household goods, furniture, Women’s
clothing, art, kitchen goods, china,
barware, unique decorative items.
Fri.-Sat., 8/30-8/31
9am-2pm
In Idylewood off Rhododendron
Drive
87792 Limpit Lane
87798 Limpit Lane
87811 Limpit Lane
Wed. 1pm-3pm
Sat. 1pm-3pm
87476 Rhodowood Dr., Florence
Valuable items. Everything 60% off list
price. Good condition or better.
541-590-9361.
Multi-Party
Rummage Sale
8/30-8/31
9am-4pm
East Mapleton Road,
look for signs.
Antiques to gifts,
fun & food!
Fri.-Sun., 8/30-9/1
8/30-8/31
10am-4pm,
9am-3pm
Moving Sale
2270 23rd E., Florence
2137 42nd St.
Lots of carpentry & mechanics tools, Everything must go! Leather furniture,
8ft. metal ladder, canning jars, wheel- lots of high-end knick-knacks, wom-
barrow & more!
en’s clothers, Indian collectibles.
