Waves of school support

The silent, waving hands said it all.

With a list of 48 people signed up to speak during a public hearing Wednesday night, Eugene School Board chairman Craig Smith asked the crowd of at least 300 not to clap or cheer in support of those who spoke on Superintendent George Russell’s final recommendations to slice $26 million from next year’s district budget.

It’s too disruptive, Smith told the standing-room-only audience at the Churchill High School cafeteria. But waving your hands to indicate support? That would be OK, Smith said.

And wave them they did. They waved for Parker Elementary School. They waved for Crest Drive Elementary. They waved for Coburg Elementary. They waved for Meadowlark and Twin Oaks, too, all schools targeted for closure this year or next under Russell’s proposal. And they also waved for Adams Elementary School and Charlemagne at Fox Hollow, which could also be affected.

A majority of those who spoke said they are adamantly against the recommendations of Russell, who was absent while attending a conference in Boston. Many spoke about how the issue of school closure has pitted parent against parent, school against school.

It’s created a “hotbed of controversy,” Parker parent Kathryn Frost said in addressing the board. “I stand here frustrated, fighting to save a system that was poorly designed,” she said. “I don’t want to argue the merits of my school versus my friend’s school.”

Parker parent Matt Ramsey said his kindergartner asked him to ask the district why it wanted to close her school. He was so steamed he ended his allotted two minutes by smacking his fist on the podium. “Why close Parker instead of Charlemagne?” Ramsey demanded, referring to Russell’s plan to relocate the French immersion alternative school to the Parker building. “Why do immersion schools get a pass? I thought you should know the word on the street. You’re afraid you’ll alienate economically advantaged families, so instead you’re throwing us under the bus. Tell us why? Your silence on this issue is deafening.”

To deal with what is expected to be an unprecedented budget shortfall for the 2011-12 school year, Russell, who will retire June 30, is recommending the closure of Coburg, Crest Drive, Parker and Meadowlark elementary schools, and Twin Oaks in 2012-13. All five schools are among those in the district with the lowest enrollment. At more than $6,000 per student, decreased enrollment in recent years has cost the district millions of dollars in state funding.

An alternate scenario to look at closing Adams Elementaryl instead of Crest Drive and Parker, and relocating Charlemagne at Fox Hollow to the Adams building, seems highly unlikely now as few board members seem to support it.

The biggest money saver in Russell’s recommendations is laying off 84 teachers and increasing class sizes at all levels by four students per class. That would save an estimated $7 million.

The final vote will come Feb. 2, following a district budget committee meeting at 5:30 p.m. Monday and a regular board meeting at 7 p.m. Tuesday.

Stacey Harris, a Howard Elementary School parent, became emotional as she talked about not being able to afford to feed her children when they are out of school on furlough days, of which even more are proposed next year under Russell’s plan.

A few other parents also fought to hold back tears as they spoke.

Crest Drive parent Kim O’Grady said she chose that school because she thought it was the best fit for her son’s special needs. “Much like I’d choose a doctor or a therapist,” she said. “But as my son’s advocate, I must speak for him. If his school closes, I’m pretty sure it’s going to add to his daily struggles not only next year, but for years to come.”

Crest Drive students would attend Adams this fall under Russell’s proposal, while Coburg students would head to Gilham Elementary, Parker students to Edgewood Elementary, and Meadowlark students would merge with Willagillespie Elementary. Twin Oaks students would go to nearby McCornack Elementary in 2012 if voters pass a $130 million capital improvement bond measure either in May or November, which is also part of Russell’s proposal.

Perhaps the most poignant comments came from the students themselves. Parker’s Isaac Hudlow said he struggled at another school before going to Parker. “When I moved here, I saw big changes,” he said, stretching to reach the podium’s microphone. “And I love Parker. Go Parker Panthers!”

Community activist and businesswoman Betty Snowden, whose daughter attended Parker years ago, told the board it needs to take more time.

“There needs to be more data,” Snowden said. “There needs to be more research … You are laying off teachers. You are hurting families. Get more data so we don’t injure anymore lives, because that is what you’re doing.”

With that, several in the audience put their hands together and clapped.