THURSDAY, JULY 21, 10
MEDFORD MAIL TRIBUNE, MEDFORD. ORE.
Phoenix Board Protests Group's Action; Residents Express Views
Statement by Area
Residents Defends
Basis for Request
Editor'i not: Tht follow
lowing statement was sub
mitted by Medford Lawyer
Frank Van Dyke in behalf
of the residents he repre
sents in the Phoenix school
district who have requested
to be transferred into the
Medford district.
The statement was sub
mitted after the Mail Trib
une offered space in which
residents of the area could
present their views in a re
ply to the Phoenix school
board's letter. Van Dyke
represents those residents.
School district reorganiza
tion on the state level is not
involved in this controversy.
This problem, very properly,
is strictly a local matter which
should be resolved in Jackson
county, and Oregon law so
provides.
When the Jackson county
reorganization committee
found that the boundary
change was desirable, as it did
by a vote of 4 to 2, and that
it did not conflict with any
contemplated reorganization,
the issue of a boundary change
was placed before the county
boundary board. This board,
es its name implies, has al
ways decided boundary
changes under, Oregon pro
cedure. The right of Phoenix to pro
Po1- WWR ft eD
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WLAk J V J fr:sh 3 days
, qA rf longer
KLS H0UUM
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I j ' m W W 4 wJ m I Im I holdi Holium'i deep, rich flavor.
I II V V V y I They're the roatan you can taste
test is unquestioned; but it is
interesting to note that so far
as the record indicates, Phoe
nix had not found the Jackson
county reorganization com
mittee unrepresentative, self
ish or political prior to this
final decision, although nu
merous other questions have
been determined by the coun
ty reorganization committee
affecting Phoenix.
Object to Statement
We strongly object to the
statement in the letter of
School District No. 4 that
"the transfer of this area is
quite obviously engineered
by Medford real estate inter
ests, . . ."
Anyone attending the hear
ing of July 20, 1960, must
concede the housewives, par
ents, and property owners in
the area affected were the
ones making and presenting
the request for change.
Members of the Jackson
county reorganization coin-
mittee are public spirited
citizens whose integrity and
fairmindedness have not pre
viously been questioned.
These members serve without
pay, only two of the members
reside within the city limits
of Medford, and their con
sidered judgment in this mat
ter certainly does not reflect
selfishness, immaturity and
lack of care."
MOIL:
From the letter it is appar
ent that the greater wealth
is located in the center of the
valley, and It appea.'s to les
sen as one goes south into the
Talent area.
Decline To Join
Phoenix voters declined to
join the Medford district and
chose to associate with the
Talent area, resulting in an
increased tax burden for
them. This indicates their
voluntary desire to retain
their status as a basically
rural district. Such is thoir
privilege.
Conversely, under the
American democratic system,
Medford people who have ex
pressed so uniformly their
desire to participate in the
educational, recreational, cul
tural and religious life of
Medford are entitled to do so.
Fire protection, police pro
tection, street protection and
sewer services of Medford
are available to these people.
Certainly it is not less im
portant that their children
should huve Medford educa
tional advantages.
The problems of growth
and development pointed up
by the Phoenix school board
are unfortunately a part of
the economic facts of life.
Urban problems should be re
solved by the urban com
munity with which they are
affiliated, as would be the
case when the boundary
change is made in this in
stance. The Phoenix district,
as a rural unit, will continue
on a sound economic basis
after the change is made.
Geographically Located
The Rogue Valley Manor is
geographically located within
the area involved, and was so
placed because of Medford
facilities available to it. Med
ford capital and Medford In
teresls have planned, develop
ed and brought lo realization
the Rogue Valley Manor proj
ect. It is an urban develop
ment, and not a part of the
rural area with which Phoe
nix has identified itself.
The letter suggests that if
the change is denied there
would be a more efficient use
of public funds. As a matter
of fact, Medford's Hoover
school is within easy walking
distance of the whole area in
volved in the change. Med
ford's new junior high school
site is also within easy walk
ing distance.
Construction at this time
of any other public school
structures in this area would
be a wasteful expenditure of
public funds and an unneces
sary duplication of school
facilities.
Other Medford school facili
ties are less than half the dis
tance required to reach Phoe
nix's nearest facilities. The
distance to Talent is four
times that required to reach
the most distant Medford
schools. Obviously, transpor
tation costs to Phoenix are
greater.
Option For Land
Phoenix writes of spending
$1,000 on an option for a site
for school facilities in the area
involved. The Phoenix school
board bulletin of March, I960,
indicates on page 15 "The
budget was discussed item by
item. Motion made by Mr
Harris, seconded and carried
to put $500 In budget for op
tion on property in Barnett
Road area for school site."
If the letter in this paper is
correct. Phoenix has already
spent double the authorized
amount for an option on a
school site in the disputed
area. This site, by Ihe way, is
adjacent to the proposed now
parochial school to bo con
structed in this district.
For a six-room school wllh
gymnasium, cafeteria, library
and office of comparable
quality to the Hoover school,
it is estimated a six-classroom
grade school would cost the.
Phoenix taxpayers $230,000.
if they were to vote such a
facility.
SO lolll! BS luinirrlrill mi.
pcriority is maintained In the
southern area of the Phoenix
district, as a practical political
matter, the actual establish
ment of these facilities near
Barnett rd. in the near future
may reasonably and fairly be
questioned, if the area should
remain in the Phoenix dis
trict. The construction of
these duplicate fncllltliw u
not a more efficient use of
public funds.
Equalisation of Resources
A point Is made about
equalization of flnanplnl rtv.
sources. After the removal' of
this area, the valuation per
census child In the Phoenix
district would be greater than
mat of Ashland and Central
Point, and it would continue
to place Phoenix in the mM.
die so far as valuation per
census child in Jackson coun
ty is concerned.
Suffice it to sav. in con.
elusion, as time does not per
mit a blow by blow reply to
this letter, democratic princi
ples should prevail. So Inno
as all, or substantially all, of
me Mecllord families In the
area desiring the change,
have expressed their wishes
so manifestly and clearly, to
ue piacca in me Aicaiorct dis
trict, and their request has
been approved bv the conntv
school district reorganization
committee, the group elected
by all of the school boards of
Jackson countv tn hnnrilp th
problem of school district re
organization, reason and jus
tice, as we know It in the U.S.,
entitles the netitloners tn nro.
sent and seek approval of the
requested change by the Jack
son county boundary board.
Nixon's Wife to
Accompany Him
On Campaign
Chicago - (WD - When Vice
President Richard M. Nixon
goes off to the campaign wars
in the fall he'll have his wife
Pat by his side.
Mrs. Nixon, who attended a
"Great Lady Luncheon" as
part of the GOP convention
whingding Wednesday, said
after it was over that "we're
not counting our chickens be
fore they're hatched," but
she added "we've always been
a team and I'll be in there
pitching too."
The Vice President's wife
said their two children Julie,
12, and Tricia, 14, are having
a grand time and that the
highlight of the convention so
far for them has been the
president's speech last night.
Of the "great lady" lunch
eon which she attended today
she said "it was thrilling . . .
I was very proud of It."
Following the luncheon she
said she and the children
visited with Mrs. Eisenhower
and the children got to say
hello to the president "which
is always a thrill for them."
She said they chattered
with the first lady and the
children had cokes and "really
lived it up."
Mrs. Nixon said the chil
dren were spunky and bear
ing up well during tre con
vention confusion.
Curfew Halls
Racial Violence
Greenville, S. C. IllPi) - A
strict curfew barring every
one under 21 from the streets
of Greenville after 9 p.m. ap
parently choked off Interra
cial violence In this textile
mill city Tuesday night.
Mobs of while and Negro
youths roamed the" streets
Sunday and Monday nights
engaging In knife and rock
battles. The city council, in
a five minute session, enact
ed the curfew law Tuesday
at the request of Police Chief
P. P. Oakes,
Oakcs said he was "ex
tremely well pleased" with
the result. He indicated en
forcement of the law may be
relaxed when the racial tem
per cools. .
Cover your patio
0 or carpon wnn
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as
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breaks, partitions.
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Jfj Phoenix Camp White Ashland
Letter to Putnam
Reviews Problem
In Barnett Area
Editor's notei The Jack
son county school boundary
board has under considera
tion a recommendation from
the school reorganisation
committee to transfer a par
cel of lend in the Barnett
rd. area Irom the Phoenix
to the Medford school dis
trict. The action by the commit
tee was protested by the
Phoenix school board in I
letter to Rex Putnam, su
perintendent of the state
department of education.
The letter follows!
School District Reorganization
State Department of
Education
Rex Putnam, Superintendent
Salem, Oregon
Dear Sir:
We, as School Directors of
Phoenix School District No. 4.
wish to protest the action of
the Jackson County Reorgani
zation Committee taken on
July 20, 1960 of approving
transfer to the Medford
School District No. S49C of
a portion of our newly con
solidated district containing
63 pupils and residential prop
erty totalling approximately
$500,000.00 assessed valua
tion. This newly consolidated dis
trict was formed as a result
of action taken by the Re
organization Committee on
August 25, 1959 declaring that
Ihe consolidation of Phoenix
School District No. 4 and Tal
ent School District No. 22 was
"in line with Reorganization
procedure." This consolidation
was approved by the Bound
ary Board on September 25,
1S59.
The property in question
which the Reorganization
Committee approved for trans
fer out of our district also in
cludes the Roguo Valley Man
or, about a $5,500,000.00 struc
ture with a potential $1,500,
000.00 assessed valuation.
Not Representative
We feel that the Jackson
County Reorganization Com
mittee is not representative of
Jackson County, being com
posed of four members from
the City of Medford with no
representation whatever from
the three districts or that por
tion of the county south of
Medford, and that the decision
reached was based on political
and selfish considerations by
the majority urban members,
rather than mature and care
ful consideration of the entire
problem involved.
At the time of the consoli
dation of Phoenix School Dis
trict No. 4 and Talent School
District No. 22, the Phoenix
school district had an assess
ed valuation of $4,919,779
with a 63.1 mill school levy.
Talent had an assessed valua
tion of $1,618,341 with an 82
mill levy. Medford had a valu
ation of $44,304,547 with a
60.2 mill levy.
We estimate that the school
levy for 1960-61 of our newly
consolidated Phoenix School
District No. 4 will be about 72
mills, but the people approved
the consolidation in spite of
the millage raise in School
District No. 4, because they
felt such consolidation would
benefit the educational pro
gram and facilities for the en
tire area, and was meeting the
objectives of the reorganiza
tion law. They did not expect
more taxable property to be
taken from them.
Per Pupil Wealth
Also, at the time of con
solidation the per pupil wealth
(ability to support a school) of
the Phoenix District was $4,
208, and that of the Talent
District was $2,487. After con
solidating the two- districts,
we emerged with a per pupil
wealth of $3,662.81. At this
time the per pupil wealth of
the Medford District No. 549C
was $4,432.00.
Currently we now have in
our consolidated district an
assessed valuation of a b o u t
$6,538,121. Wc have a budget
which will require that wc
raise by taxation $474,120.00,
which will mean a levy of
about 72 mills. Should the
area wc mention be removed
from our district it would
drop our valuation to about
$6,000,000, raising our mill
age to over 79 mills. This
means a cost of about $40,000
FIBERGLASS
-
patio panels
a year to our district.
Should the additional $1,
500,000 assessed valuation of
the manor be denied us it
would mean the loss of mi
olher $100,000 or more a year,
enough to build a school In
this area in less than two
ycdra financing, when the
number of children warrant
It. At the present lime the
children are being transport
ed 4 miles by bus to our
school In Phoenix.
Paid Option
The fact Is, wc have already
paid $1,000 to take a years
option on 9 acres in this sec
tion for a school site. We
have 75 per cent of our bond
ing capacity of $1,330,833.00
remaining, so that we arc in
a good financial position to
build a school when necessary.
In the event we cannot take
this option up because of the
property being transferred out
of our district we stand to
lose the $1,000 already paid
for the option, plus interest
charges.
The transfer of this area is
quite obviously being engi
neered by Medford real estate
Interests, and not by the Med
ford school district. The area
Is just south of Medford, and
has recently been Included In
the Medford city limits. Prop
erty has been sold there with
the implication to the pur
chasers Unit the area would
be placed In the Medford
school district, and the chil
dren then would be eligible to
attend Medford schools a few
blocks away. The laud in the
Phoenix school district which
was placed in the city limits
of Medford has been tn the
Phoenix district for 12 years.
Before that it was a non-high
district known as the North
Phoenix school district. It in
cludes the hill upon which the
Manor Is located. The reorga
nization committee In approv
ing the transfer Into the Med
ford school district of all
School District No. 4 property
in the city limits was approv
ing the transfer of Die Manor
Itself, which Is a retirement
home for the elderly, with of
course, no children in resi
dence. Understandably, the
Trade-in Allowance
FOR YOUR OLD WATCH. ANY H ,fULOV 'ofTV
1 AGE, MAKE OR CONDITION h ?ve'tLj ft ft A
" WHEN YOU PURCHASE A NEW 18 A Vfts-S)
I REG. 297flJlfa
17-JEVJGL mJsS
h WATER and SHOCK PROOF miJmx'm
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WITH METAL STRETCH BAND l fxmsJ
jr ONLY AN VatUh jWr
t 50' A WEEK TMfl
LIMITED TIME --tTftPft 1 We$" i
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Medford school district has
Indicated that they would op
pose annexiillon of the resi
dence nreu if It did not curry
wllh It enough luxuhlo valua
tion to provldo school facili
ties and educate the dilution
of the area. Consequently the
Manor was contained In this
area approved for transfer, so
that the Medford school dis
trict would not be opposed lo
annexing it.
Violations Noted
Tliu stale board of educa
tion has sot fortli four specific
objectives of school reorgani
zation, and we feel this trans
fer of property definitely vio
lates No, 2 and No, 4 of these
objectives, namely:
(2) A more efficient use of
public funds, by creation of
udinlnlslriitlvo school districts
which cun furnish nocessury
cducutloniil services ut reason
able cost,
(4) As great a degree of
equalization of financial re
sources at the local level as
can be effected by school dis
trict reorganization.
Undoubtedly of particular
interest to you are the state
wide implicutions of the grad
ual absorption of a newly cre
ated administrative district.
The Phoenix-Talent combined
district, currently a sound eco
nomic system, is sandwiched
between two large school sys
tems - those of Ashland and
Medford. Inescapably, our dis
trict borders on the two cities.
As the cities grow, must our
Pomona Grange Takes
Stand in Land Issue
The Jackson county Po
mona Grange this week
went on record "approving
the stand of Ihe Phoenix
school board thai the pres
ent school district bound
aries be left as they are."
The present boundary be
tween Ihe Phoenix and
Medlord school districts Is
Barnett rd., and Ihe Grange
felt that since It was ap
proved by both districts
through the county reor
ganisation committee that It
should remain tha bound
ary. This week's action by the
Pomona Grange stemmed
from a recent request by
residents living south of
Barnett rd. to be transfer
red Into the Medford dis
trict. The people live with
in the city limits of Med
lord, but era In the Phoenix
school district.
iilrcutlv ""Hill but iiid dis
trict always shrink? If so, the
sumo pulley must ho uppllcd
to all other small districts In
tho atnto which tiro neighbors
of big school districts and big
communities'. This policy
would deny the small districts
the opportunity tn mulnluln
and strengthen themselves.
Instead, they would become
Increasingly Ineupalile of pro
viding good cducntlons (or
their children. Wo do not be
llevc this wits the intent of
the school reorganization luw,
unci we do believe It could fur
ther endanger the entire pro
gram for the stiilo of Oregon,
Wo might add that on Sep
tember 22, 1U5II Ihe Phoenix
school district relinquished to
tho Medford school district a
truct of luud upon which they
hud purchased a school site
without realizing It wits In our
district. Agnln In September,
1950, wo guve up about $230,
000 more of assessed value
llnn lo Medford to straighten
tho boundary and to establish
It at what Is known as Barnett
road. At Uils llmo we hud an
understanding with the bound
ary board that no further nib
bling at our district would
occur. We feol It is now high
time to take stand.
We respectfully request that
this properly trunsfer be In
vestigated at the state level
before final approvul of the
tmnfer cun be effeoted.
A statement Is enclosed
which briefly outlines Ihe pro
gram of education sot up for
the 1980 01 school year by the
consolidated Phoenix Talent
school district. It Is a program
which needs all the luxiihle
support from property that
can be provided.
Respectfully yours,
Phoenix School
District No. 4
Dr. M. D. McGcary,
chairman
L. W. Newbry
. Joyce Goodrich
Allen Harris
Bruce Cyphers
Merle Slmmnnds
Molvln Lattle
HELP
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furniture, serf bedding.
We Pick Ue. '
HUP OTHIRSI
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