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Board hears support for Irrigon High School
HEPPNER
35C
unes
VOL. 113
NO. 9
8 Pages Wednesday, March 2, 1994
Morrow County Heppner, Oregon
Ballots to be mailed Thurs. March 3
The ballots for the Morrow
County operating levy and the
Morrow County School District
bond levy will be mailed this
Thursday, March 3, according to
County Clerk Barbara Bloods-
worth.
According to Bloodsworth. »lie
ballots must be returned to the
courthouse by Tuesday, March
22, at 8 p.m.
The ballots may be mailed or
brought in, but, stresses
Bloodsworth, a postmark of
March 22 does not count. The
ballots must be in the clerk’s of
fice by the 8 p.m. deadline.
The county asks approval of a
$3,708,449 operating levy. The
levy is down $58,402, one fourth
of one percent under last year’s.
Estimated tax rate for county
y operations, including the medical
hind, is $574 per thousand assess-
t ed valuation, up one cent
, over last year. The medical fund
portion of the tax rate is 61 cents
per thousand assessed valuation.
Estimated cost to a taxpayer
with a $40,000 home is $229.60.
A taxpayer with a $400,000
business will pay $2,296 and the
owner of a $1 million farm will
pay $5,740.
The total county budget is
$18,235,732, which is over $2
million more than last year’s total
county budget of $15,776,478.
Total county taxes required,
which include the six percent in
crease allowed by law without a
vote o f the people are
$4,540,435. Total county taxes
required last year were
$4.551,743.
The Morrow County School
District seeks approval of a
$15,585,000 15-year capital bond
levy to finance additions and im
provements to Morrow County
Schools. Additions are primari
ly to accommodate for growth in
the schools in the north end of the
county.
Construction in the south end
of the county would see con
solidation o f the H eppner
E lem entary
School gym ,
cafeteria, art and music r<xims in
to one facility and expansion of
the Heppner High School gym.
Heppner students in seventh
through 12th grades would then
attend classes at Heppner High
School and Heppner fifth and
sixth graders would move to the
elementary school building. The
Heppner Middle School/Junior
High building would be demol
ished.
The tax rate for the school bond
issue is estimated at $1.60 per
thousand assessed valuation. A
person with a $40,000 home
would pay $64 a year; a person
with a $400,000 business would
pay $640; and a person with a $1
million farm would pay $1,600 a
year. This would be combined
with a $7.50 per thousand school
operating levy for 1995 for a total
of $9.10 per thousand. Because
o f Ballot M easure 5, the
operating levy tax rate would
drop to $5 per thousand in 1996
and remain at that rate until 2009,
for a combined rate of around
$6.60 per thousand.
A delegation of around 35 peo
ple voiced their support for
establishing a high school in Ir
rigon at the Morrow County
School Board meeting held Tues
day, Feb. 22 in Lexington.
Members of the delegation,
headed up by LaVelle Partlow,
said that students would spend
less time on the bus if a high
school was built in Irrigon and
would have more supervision by
their parents and community
members. They also said that a
smaller school would be better for
the students educationally.
If a school is established in Ir
rigon, both Riverside and Irrigon
high schools would drop back
down to a 2A sports district. As
a result, students would not have
to travel as far to games as they
currently do, which many at the
meeting said would be an advan
tage. Irrigon Mayor Don Eppen-
bach cited increased dropout
figures for larger schools.
Several people also spoke
against establishing a high school
at Irrigon.
Gladys Hobbs, a retired school
teacher, took issue with the claim
that Irrigon was using the propos
ed high school to rejuvenate the
city of Irrigon. “ Education and
the community go hand in hand,”
said Hobbs.
Hobbs added, “ We want to
pass the bond issue, but if we
don't get a school in Irrigon,
they’re not going to get the vote
in Irrigon.” The $15,585,000
bond issue for additions and
remodeling of county schools will
go up for a vote March 22, and
ballots are scheduled to be mail
ed March 3.
According to District Super
intendent Chuck Starr, one of the
board members may decide to
change his mind on the vote
against establishing a high school
in Irrigon and call for another
vote on the issue at the next
school board meeting. The board,
however, will not meet until
March 14. According to Morrow
bounty Clerk Barbara Bloods
worth, between 60 and 70 percent
Family math night will be held
Thursday, March 10 for grades
Kindergarten through fouth from
7 to 8 p.m. in the multipurpose
room at the Heppner Elementary
school.
Each child attending should
bring a parent or an adult for a
fun night of games and problem
solving.
he said, once a child is in the
district more than five years, the
dropout rate is only five percent,
compared to a 20 percent state
average.
Heppner High School’s drop
out rate was 2.61 for 1992 and
1.99 for 1993. lone had a 1992
dropout rate of 3.64 and a 1993
rate of 3.39. Riverside’s rate was
6.38 for ’92 and 8.33 for ’ 93 .
The state average was 5.75 for
’92 and 5.69 for ’93.
-discussed implementing a
four-day week in Morrow County
schools. Student days would be
30 to 45 minutes longer. Accor
ding to Starr, if such a change
were made, the district would see
a savings of around $125,000 a
year, mostly in substitute teacher
costs, but also in transportation,
utilities and heating.
-approved plans for the lone
High School senior trip to Lin
coln City and Newport May 30
to June 2.
-accepted resignations for
Roger
H elm er,
assistant
superintendent; Arletha Brannon,
special education bus driver and
Richard W right, Boardman-
Irrigon advisory committee posi
tion 4.
-approved term ination o f
Krysta Schoen Marlow, educa
tional assistant at Columbia
Junior High School; transfer of
Dora Wallace from educational
assistant at Sam Boardman
Elementary to Columbia Junior
High; employment of Tonya
Martin and Benn Houk, assistant
track coaches at CJH; John Lar
son, head track coach at CJH;
Donna Roy, special education
assistant at Heppner Middle
School; and Ron Jones, counselor
at CJH.
-reviewed four possible calen
dars for the 1994-95 school year.
Two would start school before
Labor Day, one with a two-week
Christmas break and one with a
one-week plus two days break.
Two would start after Labor Day,
one with a two-week Christmas
break and one with a one-week
plus one day break.
Find The Hidden Shamrock
Win Silver Medallions
M u stan gs claim D istrict title
The St. Patrick’s Day treasure hunt is back again. Each week
until M arch 16 a clue for the treasure hunt will be printed
the G azette-Tim es. If followed these clues will guide
treasure hunters to green plastic shamrock hidden somewhere
in the city limits o f Heppner.
The first person to find the hidden sham rock will win a set
o f pure silver O regon Trail com m orative m edallions, w orth
nearly $90. The coins are donated by the Bank o f Eastern
O regon and are on display at the bank.
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Photo by Joyce Hughes
Heppner Mustangs with their district championship bracket
w
i
Find This
Shamrock...
and win
These Silver Coins
RULES:
1. A new set of clues to guide you to the hidden shamrock will
appear in each edition of the Heppner Gazette-Times.
2. A total of five clues will be given up to March 16.
Photo by Joyce Hughes
Family math
night at HES
o f the people who are going to
vote will turn their ballots in
within two days of receiving
them.
In an initial vote of the school
board Dec. 20, Dwayne Carroll,
Irrigon, Scott Bauska and Gary
Frederickson, both Boardman all
voted against establishing a high
school at Irrigon. Marcia Kemp,
Bill Doherty and John Rietmann
voted in favor of an Irrigon high
school. In a second vote Dec. 20,
Rietmann changed sides. Molly
Rill was out of town and unable
to cast a vote in absentia.
As it stands, additions and
remodeling will be made to
Riverside High school which ac
commodates both Irrigon and
Boardman high school students
and to Columbia Junior High
which accommodates the junior
high students of both towns. Starr
said that plans could be adapted
so that seventh through 12th
grades could be taught at both
schools. He also said that costs
would be comparable.
In other business, the board:
-heard a report by Mike Lewis,
vice president and manager of
Seattle Northwest, bond under
writers, concerning the bond
levy.
The capital bond issue is
estimated at $1.60 per thousand
assessed valuation. Lewis said
that the H erm iston school
district’s bond rate is $1.47 per
thousand. Hood River’s, $1.72;
Pendleton’s $1.81; D allas’,
$2.06; and Redmond’s. $2.05.
Lewis said the combined
capital bond levy and the
operating levy will be $9.10 for
1995 and will drop down to $6.60
for 19% through 2009 because of
Ballot Measure 5 tax limitations.
-heard a report from assistant
superintendent Roger Helmer
concerning the dropout rate in
Morrow County. Helmer said
that statistics show that the coun
ty’s dropout rate is higher than
the state average in the first year
a child is in the district. Between
one and five years, the district
and state rates are similar. But,
The Fillies received second place at the district tournament in Pendleton last weekend
The Fillies must win this game to
The Heppner Mustangs claim Savages and veteran coach Dick gain a state playoff spot.
ed their second district champion Quinn at 8:45 p.m. Friday,
ship in the last four years with March 4. for a trip to the Class
back to back victories over the 2A State T ournam ent in
Sherman County Huskies and Pendleton March 9-12.
Weston-McEwen TigerScots Fri
The Fillies beat the Pilot Rock
day and Saturday, Feb. 25 and 26 Rockets in overtime Friday, but
at the Pendleton Convention lost to the Weston-McEwen
Center.
TigerScots Saturday, to take the
The wins put the Mustangs in second place Regional playoff
to the Regional Tournament at the spot.
Convention Center in Pendleton
The Fillies will play the Imblcr
where they face the Enterprise Panthers Friday, March 4 at I
3. The hidden shamrock is not on private property and no digg
ing or moving of objects, dirt or other material is necessary to find
the shamrock.
4. The first person to find the shamrock should bring it to the
Heppner Gazette-Times office to claim the commemorative silver
medallions.
clu e Number Three
A child’s stop, a scrambled road
Last week’s clue told where to go
Left you are with lea below
A girl’s best friend near water's flow
You won’t get wet on this Irish quest
Moving homes now on your left
Follow the clues and may the luck of the Irish be with you. This con
test is sponsored by the Bank of Eastern Oregon and the Heppner
Gazette-Times.
Good Luck Heppner & lone
at the
Basketball playoffs
M orrow County Grain G row ers
p.m. at the Convention Center.
Lexington, OR
^