School Reorganization Attempts Racked By Constant Dissension
PACE-SC
Thunday, October 10, 1963
HERALD AND NEWS, Klamath Falls, Or.
: . By DAN WALTERS
Reorganization of Klamath
' County schools was conceived as
a method of streamlining and im
proving the education of more
than 10,000 students,
.v But in the last several years,
since the Idea was put forth, there
Jias been almost constant dissen
- ston among educators, school tins-
tees and the public. Only rarely
'has there been agreement, and
accord has come only at the price
of radical compromise. Often,
agreement has been nullified by
the sudden changing of minds.
First attempts at reorganization
broke down in utter failure. First
real steps at reorganization have
been taken just this summer and
these steps were painful for all
factions for one reason or an
other.
Even after boundaries for the
proposed two new school districts
were set by the County Court, the
three school boards found them-
selves in disagreement on the di
vision of school assets. In fact,
county and metropolitan school
officials have not even been able
to talk about division of assets!
because they cannot agree on
terms of school properly value,
This disagreement even on
terms Is typical of the discord
that has marked school reorgani
zation efforts here in past years,
' And there are no marked signs
that the situation is changing,
Why this discord exists Is
question that has puzzled many
observers.
One answer might be a basic
distrust between city and county
school officials. There have been
hints of this distrust on several
occasions.
It is indicated that each side
believes the other side is out to
get something for nothing. Each
of the three school boards in
volved is pledged to protect the in
terests of its constituents, and this
is being done vigorously. But this
protection of Interests often comes
at the price of cooperation.
The idea of school reorgani
zation in the county In recent
years was advanced in the late
1950s.
The Legislature in 1957 passed
a bill aimed at organizing all
territory in the state Into districts,
each capable of educating stu
dents from grade one through
high school.
In Klamath County, the situa
tion was exactly as it is today.
The county was and Is organ
ized into three districts, each gov
erned by a separate board of trus
tees. '
School District One educates
students In grades 1-fl. Its bounds
rics run rouglijy the same as the
city limits of Klamath Falls.
School District Two operates
Klamath Union High School,
grades 9-12. This district encom
passes the elementary district, but
also includes portions of the sub
urban area not In the elementary
district.
The third school district is the
County School district, which edu
cates students in grades 1-12
throughout the rest of the county.
Some county students attend
county high schools after gradua
tion from county elementary
schools and then Klamath Union
High.
Although in comparison the
Klamath school situation is less.
complicated than others in the
state, it contains the overlapping
features which the school reorgan
ization law was designed to elim
inate. The 1957 law required the for
mation of committees to study re
organization and recommend the
best methods of achieving it.
But the Klamath committee, af
ter many months of study, could
not reach agreement on a plan,
and dissolved when the reorgani
zation law expired in 1962.
About this time, Klampth Un
ion High School began experienc
ing crowding and it was proposed
that the high school district take
over the responsibility of educat
ing eighth grade students, place
them with ninth graders, and
build two new junior highs to ac
commodate them. This would re
move ninth graders from the high
school building, making more
room for 10th, Uth and 12th grad
ers.
Another solution offered was to
build another high school.
Both plans were placed on the
ballot and rejected by voters in
the spring of 1982.
Finally, with both plans reject
ed, and the situation at the high
school growing worse, a 20-mem-
ber citizens committee was
formed, representing every civic
organization in the city.
The committee met 13 Thursday
nights in a row and emerged with
the suggestion that the schools
throughout the county be reorgan
ized before another bond issue for
new schools be put before the
voters.
Meanwhile, the Legislature had
passed further reorganization leg
islation and this appointed 'the
county courts of the various coun
ties as committees to study reor
ganization.
The Klamath County Court
sought the help of the three school
boards involved and for 13 more
Thursdays in a row, the three
boards met together. The boards,
however, couldn't come up with a
plan acceptable to all.
The boards were stuck on the
matter of equalization of tax
funds.
Finally, a citizens committee
known as Single District Reorgan
ization called for the county to
become one big school district,
which would eliminate all ques
tions of equalization and division
of assets.
Upon receipt of a petition, the
suggestion was placed on the June
10, 3963, ballot.
Voters in the city elementary
school district were to choose
whether they would join the coun
ty school district. County voters
were asked If they would accept
the city elementary district. If
both units approved the merger,
the Klamath Union High School
District would be eliminated and
the county would be one big dis
trict. But rejection by cither unit
would doom the plan.
Campaign both for and against
The Court Records
the proposal was heavy, and in
the final tally, county voters over
whelmingly rejected the plan,
4,086-547. The plan passed nar
rowly in the elementary district.
70M18.
The defeat of the nl.in u
hailed as a mandata frnm fha
people for another solution to the
reorganization problem.
Just four davs after th plorlinn
the County Court, in its function
as a reorganizinc committee
(boundary board). askoH ih thru
school boards to submit a plan
for division of the countv intn Iwn
districts.
Again, joint meetings were held
1 an effort to reach a rnmrnnn
solution to tlie problem. And again
there was no agreement among
the three bodies.
The oiementarv srhnnl hnarA
(District One) was in favor of the
so - called "Wiard Street plan,"
and its position was supported
Dy me county board.
This Dian called fnr the -fnrmn.
lion of one school distript. fllnno
the basic lines of the nreseni
mentary district, except it would
inciuae tne Stewart . Lenox area
and the elementary boundaries
would be extended pad jinrl In.
elude all the area north of South
Sixth east to Wiard Street. All
the rest of the area in the county
would be Included in the second
district.
Under the plan, the metropoli
tan district would use the present
Klamath Union High School as its
high school' facilities. The metro
politan district would be smaller
than the present Klamath Union
district and thereby allow the use
oi the high school building for a
number of years in the future
without construction of new fa
cilities. It would mean, however.
the construction of new ele
mentary school facilities to take'
care of students in the expanded
elementary school area.
The "Wiard Street plan" was
strongly denounced by members
of the high school board.
High school board members
said the plan would force many
of their constituents in the area
south of South Sixth Street to be
"sold down the river."
They said these people would be
forced to pay for the expansion
of Henley High School, although
they have already paid for Klam
ath Union High, since they would
be eliminated from the metropoli
tan district.
The Klamath Union board pro
posed that the metropolitan dis
trict be formed along the lines of
the Klamath Union District.
Finally, in a surprise move, the
County School Board switched
from the "Wiard Street plan" ad
vanced by the elementary board
to the "KU plan."
But this didn't sway the ele-;
mentary board and the two plans
went to the County Court.
Ihe County Court, after study
ing both plans, adopted the "Wi
ard Street plan" a few months
ago.
But the old bugaboo of equaliz
ing tax burdens didn't halt.
The County Court, after adopt
ing the "Wiard Street plan,"
sought the advice of all three dis-
MUNICIPAL COURT
Oct, 7. ltu
Joseph Eftman. drunk, 12S or five or
10 dave.
Ernest Ward, drunk, 125 or flvo or 10
davs.
Harry Brunalte, drunk, ISO or 10 or
20 days.
Lawrence Melsler, drunk, SIS or five
or 10 davs.
Hoy Loudermllk, drunk, MS or f'vt or
10 davs.
Lewis Bredshtr, drunk, 125 or flvt or
10 davs.
John laxarus. drunk, 115 or tlvo or
10 davs.
Harold Smith, drunk, I2S or (Iva or
10 days.
Irwin Walsar Jr., drunk, 525 or flvl or
10 days.
Lalro Hints, drunk, 525 or flvt or 10
days.
Kenntth Chestnut, drunk, 525 or flvt or
10 davs.
Lawrence Rnwall, drunk, 525 or flvt
Or 10 days.
Harold Davis, drunk, 515 forfeited.
Michael Murphy, drunk. 525 torltlted.
Albert Campbell, drunk, 525 tor
felled. Milton Sassier, furnlshlno liquor to mi
nors, 515 forfeited.
Gerald Lee. furnishing liquor to mi
nors, 525 forfeited.
Lolt Wlkher, allowing minor to vio
late curfew, 525 or five davs.
Goldte Sominert. allowing minor to vio
late curfew, 175 or flvt davs.
Ai'ct stutts, allowing minor to violate
currtw, 5'S or five davs.
Ancel Akers, two counts drunk, 10
forfeited.
Larry Blofsky, drunk, 525 forfeited.
Murray Hoolen, drunk, 525 forfeited.
Joseph Wahl, drunk and disorderly con
duct, 5100 forfeited
Lerov Moran, two counts dlsordtrly
conclucr, 5I0O tint.
wnlum Btaudeltt. drunk, 525 forfeit.
t1.
Larry Davis, drunk, continued.
Kenneth Mills, drunk, 125 or flvt or
10 nays.
Robert Huff, drunk, 525 or flvt or 10
days.
Francis Karnes, drunk, dismissed.
Oct, a. mi
Opias Mason, drunk, 525 or flvt er
10 davs.
R chard Bryant Goodman, violation of
hotel ordinance, flvt days.
Oiaf Herman Carlson, drunk, 525 or
fivt or 10 days.
MUNICIPAL COURT
Oct. t, till
Jack Becken, drunk. 525 or fivt or 10
davs.
Joseph Harold Cook, drunk, 525 or five
or to days.
Floyd Edward Plummer, drunk, 525 er
five or to days.
Regan Raymond City, drunk, 525 or flvt
Or 10 days
Waldo Fleetwood, drunk, 525 V flvt
Or 10 days.
James Gordon Mclntvro, drunk and
disorderly ronduct, ISO fine.
Simeon Riddlt Jr., drunk, 525 or fivt
or 10 nays
Rossi Riddlt Williams, drunk, 52 or
flvt or 10 davs.
Bttty Kanna, curfew violation sverrant,
plead not guilty, hearing Oct. 11. J
Roval Juda Mtff. vaartnev. 5100 for
toiled.
On The Record
MARRIAOI LICBN5IS
James Charles McKtml, 20, Gresham
and Charlotte Moody, 17, Warm Sprlnqs.
Charles Whitfield Phillips. 22. Valley
Head, Ala., and Laurent Eliltbalh Wood.
II. Klamath Falls.
DIVORCI ACTION1 PILID
HUKSf Htttl Jostphint vs. Charles
Edward.
COLLINS Doris K. vs. Joa W
HODGES Hope Corlnna vs. Pierce.
CASR Donna Merit vs. Flovd E.
E RICKS Evelyn Eugenia vs. Vern At
len.
trumpower EHiabelh Louisa vs
Robert Henry.
COURT ACTIONS PILIO
Carter-Jones Collection, Inc. vs. Don
ald and Mary Lou Freeman, at at
Frank R. waavtr vs. City of Klamath
Palls, at al.
State of New Mtsteo, County of San
Juan, ex rtl. Maxlnt Shtw vs. Claranca
Shaw.
James L. Chlpman vs. Oscar L. An
derson Jr.
Julio L.. Goniales vs. Slot Industrial
Accident Commission.
Carter-Jones Collection, Inc. vs Ctar
tnct and Evelyn Miller.
E. B. Keck vs. Eugene Lynch, et al
B. L. Whilt vs. Eugene Lynch, tt al.
Roland D. Bechtold vs. Eugene Lvnch
Cormen Smith vs. Eugene Lynch, el al.
V. R Dalton vs. eugene Lvnch, et al
James A. McClaln vs. Eugene Lvnch. et
a).
C H. Sklnntr Jr. vs. Eugent Lynch
it al
tricts on seven matters pertaining
to reorganization.
Most of these were technicalities
such as trustee elections and zon
ing of the two proposed districts,
but one of the two points con
cerned the division of school as
sets between the two proposed dis
tricts.
Although the three boards could
reach separate recommendations
on other matters, the County
Court insisted upon unanimous
agreement on the division of assets.
And that's where the situation
is hung up today.
There have been several infor
mal meetings of administrators
and board members, but the divi
sion of assets problem is far from
solved.
In fact the three boards can't
even agree upon terms to use in
their negotiations.
The two city districts have.
over the years, maintained a con
stant appraisal of their properties.
But this has not been done in
county schools.
City officials asked that an ap
praisal be done on county school
properties, so discussions can take
place in an atmosphere of con
stant values.
But county officials refused to
do this, saying an appraisal would
be too expensive. They suggested,
instead, that insurance company
estimates be used as the basis
for discussion.
But city school trustees are not
inclined to do this after spending
money for a constant appraisal.
But even if the basis for dis
cussion is settled, the three fac
tions appear to be widely sepa
rated in their positions on divi
sion of assets.
The Klamath Union board is
still concerned about its constitu
ents in the suburban area who
will be cut out of the metropolitan
district by reorganization. It is
maintained that these people,
who have helped pay for Klam
ath Union High School, will be
forced to float another bond issue
for the enlarging of Henley High
to take care of the expected in
crease in students.
On the same- token, the county
board is concerned about other
suburban taxpayers previously in
the County School District who
will be forced to pay for new ele
mentary schools as they join the
metropolitan district in reorgan
ization.
As it now stands, the "Wiard
Street plan" will mean the city
schools gain about 700 elementary
students and lose about 600 high
school students to the rural dis
trict. Division of assets will require
the exchange of money to ' as
nearly as possible make the re
organization equitable financially.
School officials expect that this
transfer of students with reorgan-;
ization will not be a sudden thing,
but rather be temporary as new
facilities are constructed. For ex
ample, under reorganization,
some students who belong to Hen-
Icy might attend Klamath Union
High for a time until Henley is
lexpanded sufficiently. Tuition
would he naid to the metrnnnlttan
district by tne otner district un
til the facilities are ready.
One Doint that micht make the
division ot assets easier is the
rural school law. Under this law
which is now in effect, that huHcr.
, 0
ets of the two school districts
would be determined and the lew
established. In ear-h of thai Iwn
districts half of the levy would
come from the district itself,
while the other half wntild mme
from a county-wide levy. This
torm ot equalization was written
into tne law to allow taxes from
timber lands to be used fnr
city schools to a certain extent.
This feature michl make fh fi.
nancial transition into two school
districts less painful.
If and when the three schnnl
boards agree on a Dlan for Hivi.
.sion of assets, it and the other!
data requested will be submitted
to the County Court. The court
then will draw up the final re
organization plan and a hearing
will be called.
After testimony is receiver! in
the hearing, the County Court then
decides the fate of the plan. If it
is approved bv the court with nnv
changes arising from the hearing,;
tne plan is sent to the State Board
of Education for study. The state
board will check the plan for com
pliance with the law and other
factors.
Finally, if the plan is given ap
proval by the state board, it will
be voted upon by the people of
Klamath County.
And years of discussion, debate
and study may come to an end.
New Sfars
Discovered
SAN FERNANDO. Calif. (UPD
Discovery of stars too faint to
be seen, but detectible by use of
an extremely sensitive infrared
telescope, was reported Wednes
day by International Telephone
and Telegraph Corp.'s federal lab
oratories.
Scientist Freeman Hall said the
extremely sensitive temperature
measuring instrument used to
detect the newly discovered stars
also indicated that some stars
already known emit as much as
36 times more infrared radiation
that previously estimated.
Noting that the hottest stars
emit bright visible light while
cooler ones emit heat waves with
much fainter visible light, Hall
said the heat - measuring tele
scope used in making the discov
eries was so sensitive that meas
urements sometimes were inter
rupted by heat from insects
as they flew past.
At one point, the work was
disturbed when heated air cur
rents rose from a cigarette burn
ing 50 feet away.
The scientist suggested that
the discovery may require modi
fication of present theories on the
evolution of the stars and the
universe.
Governor Yon't Make
Flat Cut In Services
SALEM (UPIi Flat, across the
board cuts in state services will
not result if the tax measure is
defeated Oct. 15, Gov. Mark Hat
field said today.
He said if the tax measure is
defeated ' I would be required by
law to cut the budget. But I do
not yet know where cuts would
be made. This would have to be
selective."
He added, "The reports ot pro
posed cuts submitted by various
state agencies are for information
and Guidance only, and do not nec
essarily mean that those are tne
cuts that would be ordered."
Appling Comments
Hatfield's comments were
sparked by Secretary of State
Howell Appling Jr. at today's
Board of Control meeting when, he
said "if institution superintend
ents want to put out these ideas
that's all right, but I'm not going
to mislead the public."
At the meeting, board secre
tary Nick Peet submitted a list
proposing $7 million in cuts from
the $50 million board of control
supervised state institutions.
If the tax measure is defeated
this is not going to be easy, it
will result in serious cutbacks,"
Peet said.
Appling said he would not ap
prove such cutbacks.
"I would want time to make
an exhaustive study of every op
eration before I determined
which cuts 1 would approve," he
said.
Appling said "I'm glad to hear
the governor clarify his position.
Nobody can say at this time what
specific items would be elimina
ted. But that's not the impres
sion being given by some state
agencies.
Belton Agrees
Slate Treasurer Howard Belton
said "I am glad to hear this
clarification. I would hesitate to
vole to accept these cuts."
Hatfield said "1 can't say now
which agencies would be cut, or
whether they would be cut 10
per cent or 30 per cent."
He said the decision on whether
to call a special session would
have to be made, and cuts could
depend on what action the legis
lature might take.
Appling insisted cutbacks would
have to be selective, with pos
sibly some services eliminated,
and others receiving only minor
adjustments.
Copies of tlie proposed cutbacks
were not released to the press.
A COSTLY MISTAKE
WASHtNr.TnV (UPII Tl,
.General Accounting Office (GAO
saw i ucsciay wai uio icaerai gov
ernment was making a costly mis
take bv rrntinrr tnatenit nf numlncr
its post olfice facilities.
A GAO report covering a study
of 91 postal facilities leased by
ins i-osi u 1 1 1 c e Department
showed that after 15 years, the
amount paid in rent would exceed
by ja.l million their cost of con-
hlllR:ilt)ll.
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