10A COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL APRIL 19, 2017
SLSD waits for budget, could face $1.8 million hole
As the district waits to hear from the state, it prepares to start cutting services, jobs, days from budget
The South Lane School district is
holding
its breath along with the rest of
cmay@cgsentinel.com
Oregon's education system as it awaits
the fi nal decision by state legislators
concerning the budget. While the fi nal number has yet to be re-
vealed, early projections from both the governor's offi ce and the
ways and means committee had schools scrambling to maintain
current services. The best estimate places South Lane schools try-
ing to bridge a $1 to $1.8 million gap. To do that, something has to
go.
South Lane Superintendent Krista Parent has been holding bud-
get meetings with various educators around the district to illustrate
the dire situation.
According to information distributed during those meetings, the
school district has several options in making up the budgetary short-
fall. To close the $1.8 million gap, it could eliminate 25 teachers for
a value of $70,000 each. It could also cut 20.5 days from school at
$88,000 a piece. However, Parent has noted that a portion of South
Lane's students have had just a fraction of their education consist of
a full calender due to cut days to comply with budget restrictions.
Further, inclement weather has left students at home more than usu-
al this year which could potential cause a larger problem.
Students are required to attend school for a certain number of
instructional hours per year. When school days fall away to snow
days and budget cuts, schools can be left responsible to the state to
explain the short-coming. According to Parent, SLSD has yet to be
in the "penalty box" concerning instructional hours but if the school
By Caitlyn May
Water treatment
center featured
The Row River Water Treatement Plant in Cottage Grove has
hit the big time.
The facility was profi led in the latest edition of Water Qual-
ity Products magazine, educating readers on the center’s water
fi ltration system and providing publicity for the city of Cottage
Grove as it continues to ready for the day it hits the 10,000 pop-
ulation mark.
The Row River plant boasts 4,000 connections, 49 miles of
water main and serves nearly 10,000 people. The original plant
was opened in 1993 and used an upfl ow clarifi er with a sand
fi lter to bring drinkable water to residents.
However, in 2006, the Cottage Grove City Council voted to
stop using the Layng Creek Water Treatment Center after its 25
miles of pipes could no longer keep up with the demand. It was
determined that the price to upgrade the system at Layng would
not yield an even return.
To stay on pace with a growing city, Cottage Grove chose the
Aria FLEX membrane system that utilizes pressurized mem-
branes to fi lter the water to drinking standards.
According to Cottage Grove City Manager Richard Meyers,
said the facility can grow and can house an additional fi ltration
system as the city continues to grow and serve more residents.
Williams Continued from A1
commission.
Williams will fi nish out the
remainder of Stewart's term
and has noted he may run for
re-election in 2018. He served
as mayor of Cottage Grove for
12 years.
Commissioners said attri-
butes such as an individual who
could diversify” the board and
provide a new perspective were
important deciding factors.
Williams will join four men on
the fi ve-member board.
Prior to narrowing the fi eld to
three candidates, commission
chairman Pat Farr noted that the
board was choosing someone,
not to run in 2018, but to fi ll
Stewart's seat for the remain-
der of the term. He noted the
task was a diffi cult one because,
"You can't clone Faye Stewart."
At the fi nal stage of selec-
tion, Williams came out on top
with Heather Buch following. A
three-way tie put Tim Laue, Bet-
sy Schultz and Cedric Hayden
in third place. Laue nabbed the
third spot after a second vote of
the commission.
Each fi nalist was asked what
issues they would advocate for
on the state and national level
with answers ranging from vet-
eran care to affordable housing.
Williams was appointed with
a 3-1 vote of the commission.
Fleck, Nordin and Weeldrey-
er were eliminated from the fi -
nal rounds but commissioners
encouraged all the applicants to
continue in their pursuit of pub-
lic service noting that the fi eld
in 2018 may be a crowded one.
The board noted the original
29 applicants, with two failing
to meet the basic requirements,
was a sign of interest in the po-
sition and it may mean a fi ght
for the seat during the 2018
election. Applicant Kevin Mat-
thews noted that, despite not be-
ing appointed, he planned to run
for the seat he lost to Stewart in
the 2016 election.
In an emailed statement from
the county, Williams said of his
appointment, "This is a tremen-
dous opportunity and respon-
sibility,” he continued, "I look
forward to continuing to serve
Cottage Grove and the other
outstanding communities in
East Lane County – I am ready
to hit the ground running.”
is forced to cut days due to the budget and the area experiences
another harsh winter, that could change.
Also on the list of possible money-saving options is sports at the
high school level. Eliminating the program would save the school
$200,000. However, it is noted that such a move could cost the dis-
trict up to 100 students. In a state where students can choose where
they go to school, athletic programs draw in potential players and
losing 100 students would amount to a $750,000 loss for the district.
Other suggestions on the list include closing Latham School
which would displace 120 students, stalling already delayed math
adoption at the elementary level, terminating 31 custodians, 39 sec-
retaries, 21 administrators or cutting all middle school athletics.
Of all the items on the list, Parent asks administrators to cut up to
12, ranking them one through 12. She reported back to the school
board that the exercise is helpful in explaining the budget to teach-
ers and administrators who feel the pinch when services decrease
and they're asked to do more with less.
It's not the fi rst time South Lane School District has been asked
to tighten their budget by the legislature. The district has cut days
in the past and according to Parent, may have to do so in the fu-
ture. Because the legislature lays out a two-year budget, further cuts
could be waiting for the 2017-2018 school year. Parent noted that
the district is unaware of exactly how the legislative budget would
affect next year but any budget shortfall would place services,
teachers and school days back on the chopping block.
An answer on the fi nal budget is due from the legislature in the
coming weeks.
CONSTURCTION UNDERWAY
FOR HAYDEN HOMES
Hayden Homes has begun construction on the affordable housing development on Hwy. 99 beside the fi re department. Construction had been delayed over
the winter and due to a shortage of available equipment. Foundations are being installed for the cottages expected to be rented as a solution to Cottage
Grove's affordable housing crisis.
The release distributed by the
county also included a statement
from the commission, noting,
"We had a remarkable fi eld of
candidates, each of who would
have been an asset to East Lane
County,” said Farr “Mr. Wil-
liams will serve the constitu-
ents of East Lane County well
and we look forward to working
closely with him on behalf of
our community.”
Williams was sworn in on
Thursday and has been on the
run ever since.
"It's been a bit of a whirl-
wind," he told The Sentinel.
On Monday, April 17, Wil-
liams was scheduled to com-
plete his orientation and meet
with staff.
As for Williams, his hectic
schedule will continue but he
says there isn't much more to
report.
"The only new news is I'm
back in government and here to
serve the people as faithfully as
I did as mayor. It's just casting a
bigger net."
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The Cottage Grove
Public Library Presents
Smithsonian Traveling Exhibit
MAY 2017
MAY 1-31, 2017
COTTAGE
GROVE
PUBLIC
LIBRARY
Come see the exhibit in
the library, then watch
the fi lms with us!
AND...A FILM FESTIVAL CELEBRATING
THE SMITHSONIAN AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY
AND CULTURE MUSEUM
F
FREE Th ursdays in May at 5:30pm REE
Reception Hall at the Cottage Grove Community Center
www.cottagegrove.org/library