Home 
International Oregon: Losing School, Losing Identity
International Oregon: Losing School, Losing Identity 
| Enter the gallery |
286 |
| Latest Events |
|---|
|
There are no upcoming events currently scheduled. View Full Calendar |
| Search the Prometheus site: |
|---|
| Can't find it on the new site? |
|---|
| Look for it on the old site: oldsite.prometheusradio.org! |
| Translate the site: |
|---|
|
|
| Oregon: Losing School, Losing Identity |
|
Copyright 2006 The Oregonian All Rights Reserved The Oregonian (Portland, Oregon) April 10, 2006 Monday Sunrise Edition SECTION: Regional News; Pg. A01 LENGTH: 1272 words HEADLINE: Losing school, losing identity BYLINE: MATTHEW PREUSCH, The Oregonian BODY: SUMMARY: Rural districts | Some areas face closing their only school, shredding the social fabric and sending students miles away Portlanders aren't the only ones facing declining enrollment and possible school closures. More than three-quarters of Oregon's rural school districts are losing students, and administrators say closures are imminent. But unlike Portland, rural districts often have to confront an even harsher reality: Many have only one school to close. And when they do, kids head miles from home on the bus and a community loses a key piece of its identity. It's a ripple effect that bigger districts can more easily absorb. "In larger districts that are declining, such as Portland, they have the painful choice of closing schools. Now that's a difficult choice, but at least they have that choice," said Mark Jeffery, superintendent of the Paisley School District in Lake County. "We don't." An analysis by The Oregonian of state enrollment figures for 87 small rural districts found that 67 have recorded a drop in students since 1995 after a period of growth starting in the late 1980s. Many of the districts have lost a fifth or more of their students. The analysis defined rural districts are those with all or a majority of their schools in areas defined as rural by the U.S. Census Bureau --those outside an urban area or urban cluster. One district, Brothers in eastern Deschutes County, has no students this year and is being absorbed by Crook County schools. Another district, the Double 0 west of Burns, is down to one student. School officials are deciding whether to keep the one-teacher schoolhouse open. "I think having rural schools are important, but that may be a voice in the wilderness," said Double O board member Daniel Brown. A 2002 state Department of Education report found that it would be cheaper per-student to consolidate smaller rural schools into one larger school, though it didn't target specific districts. But the trade-off, the report noted, would be increased travel times and social damage to small towns, where the school is often the focus of community life. "You may be losing the only school or only high school in a town, and that can have a dramatic effect on the fabric of that town," said Brian Reeder, a department analyst and the report's author. Falling rural enrollment generally mirrors the decline in resource industries such as logging and ranching. "It's probably all tied into the economy. The jobs aren't there, so the employments aren't there. So people have left," said Tim Sprenger, superintendent of Grant County's single-school Long Creek District, where enrollment has dropped by more than half since it was 106 in 1995. So far, the district has weathered talk of merging with the also-shrinking Monument School District 20 miles west. But that may not last, Sprenger said. "In two or three years, I don't know what may happen then." "Remote and necessary" Paisley --in the Chewaucan River valley northwest of Lakeview --is typical of struggling small districts. This year, 85 kindergartners through 12th-graders attend the two-story blue-gray stucco schoolhouse in the town of "249 friendly folks and one old grouch," as the Chamber of Commerce Web site says. That's a quarter fewer than 10 years ago. And the district expects to lose another five kids next year, said Jeffery, the superintendent. Under the calculus of the state funding formula, which is based on enrollment, that means about $60,000 less for the district, he said. That's no small change in an estimated budget of $1.4 million next year. The district expects to use $650,000 from the state; $270,000 in local revenue; $280,000 in federal dollars, grants and other funds; and $200,000 from its reserve. The reserve fund probably will dry up in two to three years, Jeffery said. And unlike larger districts in more prosperous areas, Paisley can't count on other support, such as a temporary tax increase from taxpayers or a bailout from local government. So the district is looking to the state. Jeffery has formed a coalition of 12 small districts he calls "remote and necessary" --Paisley, Burnt River, Dayville, Fossil, Harper, Huntington, Jordan Valley, Long Creek, Mitchell, Monument, Spray and Ukiah. This month, he plans to lobby the Legislature for two things: $150,000 in stopgap money for his district and reform of the state per-pupil funding formula to give more weight to remote, rural districts. "If small districts don't receive some assistance, they're going to close," Jeffery said. The 2002 state report found that it costs about 50 percent more per student to run a high school of 120 students than it does one with 1,000 to achieve similar academic results. That's because fixed expenses such as teacher salaries, transportation and maintenance are spread over fewer students in rural areas. Last year, Paisley spent about $12,000 per student while Portland spent about $7,500. The state average was $6,400. But Paisley had 67 students, and Portland had 47,674. "I can't deny that it costs more to educate each child in Paisley," Jeffery said. "But that's because I don't have economies of scale." Smaller districts still have to provide lunches, mow the football field --and in Paisley's case --heat a 1917 schoolhouse with plaster and paint falling off in patches on three sides of the building. "What you're forced to do is cut," Jeffery said. "So you cut, cut, cut." Districts get creative In 2001, Paisley eliminated a third of the district's employees and closed the school cafeteria. It's since reopened, staffed by volunteers. To cut down on maintenance costs, students sweep and clean halls and classrooms every day. In 2003, the district adopted charter guidelines for the school, making it eligible for federal money. "It was our only hope," Jeffery said. Paisley also courts exchange students, who raise enrollment. This year, there are nine students, one each from Vietnam, Hungary and seven other countries. But without more money in the next few years, the next step is closure, Jeffery said. The mill in town closed in 1996, and Paisley lost nearly a third of its population in the 1990s, though it's been stable at about 250 since 2000. Unemployment is 10.5 percent in Lake County, compared with 5.6 percent statewide. Government --federal, state and local --is the largest employer. "People are trying to hold on," said George Murdock, director of the Oregon Small Schools Association. "And the school is all that's left." In the winter, many residents gather at the gym to watch the Broncos play basketball or listen to live play-by-play on 103.1 KPAI, a low-power FM station broadcast from the school that gives the only decent radio signal in town. This spring, residents can enjoy a local production of "Arsenic and Old Lace" in the school's auditorium. "Everything that happens in this town revolves around the school," said Dee Ann McAllister, who graduated from the Paisley School in 1970. She and her husband, Ralph, (class of '68) own the Paisley Mercantile. If the school closes, students would go to Lakeview, 45 miles southeast, or the North Lake School District near Christmas Valley. "Would you want your kids on the road for an hour and a half over mountain passes in winter?" asked Dale Chiono, who owns the Summer Lake Store and sits on the school board. Parents also value the small school's atmosphere. Last year, the state gave the district an "exceptional" rating in its annual report card. "We're not going to close because we're bad schools," Jeffery said. "We'll close because we're small schools." Matthew Preusch: 541-382-2006; This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it Graphic - Map LOAD-DATE: April 11, 2006 < |
