Perspective from the 19th Hole is the title I chose for my personal blog, which is meant to give me an outlet for one of my favorite crafts – writing – plus to use an image from my favorite sport, golf. Out of college, my first job was as a reporter for the Daily Astorian in Astoria, Oregon, and I went on from there to practice writing in all my professional positions, including as press secretary in Washington, D.C. for a Democrat Congressman from Oregon (Les AuCoin), as an Oregon state government manager in Salem and Portland, as press secretary for Oregon’s last Republican governor (Vic Atiyeh), and as a private sector lobbyist. This blog also allows me to link another favorite pastime – politics and the art of developing public policy – to what I write. I could have called this blog “Middle Ground,” for that is what I long for in both politics and golf. The middle ground is often where the best public policy decisions lie. And it is where you want to be on a golf course.
We are witnessing first-hand what happens when school districts lose enrollment and have to consider closing schools.
Parents and others rise up to advocate for their schools before closure proposals become final.
Elected members of school boards face tough decisions – decisions that will leave almost no one content.
The two districts:
- Portland Public Schools, the state’s largest, where 13 schools have made the potential closure list.
- Salem-Keizer Schools, the state’s second largest, where six schools are on the chopping block.
None of this will be final until the two boards act in a few weeks.
To get a picture of this, let’s look at the case of Candalaria Grade School in South Salem, the school our two children attended several years ago.
If there were still in school now, we’d likely be among fighting against closure, given how much the school did for our children. Driving by the school the other day, I saw groups standing outside preparing to oppose closure. Then, I also say signs sprouting up around the neighborhood saying “save Candalaria.” Something like a political campaign, which, in a way, it is.
Here is how Salem Reporter characterized the rational for Candalaria being on the list.
“Of Salem-Keizer’s 42 elementary schools, Candalaria is the only building in which district officials identified major concerns in all seven categories of the Site Viability Analysis, which helped officials narrow down which schools to consider for closure.
“The seven categories examined were capital investment needs, site limitations, enrollment patterns, facility conditions that prevent equitable use, transportation, operating costs, and educational adequacy — if the building impedes teaching conditions.
“The inaccessibility of Candalaria was a major red flag for the district, with the technical guide categorizing it as ‘one of the district’s more challenging school sites.’ Candalaria is on a hill with a steep walkway leading to the outdoor play areas, and the multi-floor building lacks elevators.
“The accessibility for students with disabilities, anyone with disabilities, is very, very limited outside and inside the building.
“The school also lacks a cooling system and has had problems with radon, a gas that can cause lung cancer
“The district’s technical guide to Candalaria notes that the school’s close proximity to other buildings with space for additional students was another reason the school was selected. Candalaria is at 57 per cent enrollment this year.
“The district estimates that the cost of deferred maintenance is $3.7 million, including a need to replace the fire alarms, much of the HVAC system and the water heaters.”
On this basis, there appears to be enough information to support closure.
But what will happen is a collision between facts and figures on one hand and emotion on the other hand.
There is no way to tell which side will win. School districts with declining enrollment believe they have no choice but to downsize. Parents believe they no choice but to advocate for their kids.
In these political battles, it is clear no one will win outright.
