June 16, 2009

Wasco rallies over school
Sherman district plans to close elementary

By Sam Craig
of The Chronicle

     With a unanimous motion at their June 8 meeting, the Sherman County School Board made some drastic changes that ruffled feathers across the county.
     Among other items, the board approved the move of district offices so Ivan Ritchie can remain superintendent and serve as principal at the Grass Valley elementary school, but the most contentious shift is the planned fall shut-down of the North Sherman Elementary School. Residents of Wasco and Rufus will be taking their distaste for the plan to the streets.
     With a rally to save their school planned for tonight at 6 p.m., residents of the towns served by the elementary school hope to influence the board to keep the school open.
     “I believe the Rufus mayor is going to be here and the citizens of Rufus are coming up,” said Amy Asher, Wasco mayor and organizer of the movement.      We’re going to try and get together and make a plan — something that makes sense.”
     One problem with the shut-down, Asher said, is that it will mean a loss of students in the district. With the nearest school some 27 miles away, not including out-of-the-way stops, the long bus ride could cause some parents to seek out alternatives.
     “It’s not only going to impact us, but also Rufus,” she said. “Those kids from Rufus are going to have a minimum 30-mile trip to school. That’s one direction.      One of the other things that is frustrating to me is the possibilities of the number of kids that we’re going to lose from the district by closing North Sherman Elementary.”
     “Between the parents that work in The Dalles and will take their kids in that direction, be it public school or private school,” Asher continued. “For me personally, it’s not a busing issue, but for a lot of parents it is. They’re going to lose a lot of kids. The number I’ve gotten from parents is between 12 to 18 kids. These are the ones who have said already, ‘I am not sending my kids down there.’ And it’s not that South Sherman is a bad school, it’s a huge lifestyle change for the people living up here. I mean if you’ve got to take your kid to the doctor, they’re missing school.”
     On Wednesday morning, Asher believes the County Court Meeting will be pretty full of agitated parents and community members.
     “If everyone who has called me or commented to me around town how frustrated and upset at losing such a vital part of our community shows up, then we’ll have a huge turn out,” she said.
     When contacted, Sherman County School District Superintendent Ivan Ritchie asked not to be quoted in the story, though he did release an official school board statement on the matter of the district changes on Friday, June 12.
     “The school district has held public forums and town hall meetings over the last two years to gather community input and disseminate information on the challenges the district faces serving our student population long term,” the release read. “Maintaining three campuses with double grade classrooms and duplicated staff does not provide the best educational program nor is it cost effective.”
     Asher disagrees with the cost effectiveness argument, but says her aim isn’t to make trouble for the board or district, but to serve the community.
     “I just really want to reiterate, my goal is not to cause damage to the education system in the county,” she said. “I really would like to see, and a majority of us would like to see, the elementary stay open.”
     The rally planned tonight will be held at 6 p.m. beginning at the Wasco City Hall and moving toward the Church of Christ. Tomorrow’s County Court meeting will begin at 9 a.m. at the courthouse in Moro.