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Cascade Locks Merger
Posted On 13 Dec 2011
Boundary change proponents now gathering signatures on a petition to redistrict Corbett SD with Cascade Locks. George Fischer and Connie Kennedy, part of the Cascade Locks Charter School ( CLCS ) committee, have been attempting to get their Charter School off the ground for the past two years. They were denied both by Hood River ( twice ) and finally by the State of Oregon. They were gathering signatures to have the voters in Hood River and Corbett Oregon decide.
Corbett Connection
Bob Dunton, the Corbett Charter School Director and his wife, Sheri Dunton were listed in school board minutes in Hood River since early in 2010. Bob Dunton was listed as a consultant for CLCS. The Charter school could house 225 students and has been in the works since 2009. Connie Kennedy also hosted a presentation from Bob Dunton in 2008 in the school district where she was last Superintendent. More details on this and a link to some articles in relation to Kennedy and Fischer, select here.…
To read the State of Oregon’s reasons for rejecting the Charter School’s Educational model please select here.
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Recent News
3/21/2012: ” Trani said he understands that ultimately, the merger decision is not up to either school district’s administration.”I don’t want to say we don’t support it, he said. “We support the actions of the voters; we don’t really get a say.” [ Hood River News ]
3/5/2012: “I received an email response from Dr. Randy Trani, superintendent of the Corbett School District, asking him for an update regarding their position on a merger possibility: “It seems that Cascade Locks will not be receiving the ‘small school extra funds’ this next year, which would make it very difficult to justify a small k-12 school in Cascade Locks. That being the case, I expressed to the school board that I could not support a merger at this time”
District Boundary Changes
The boundary change proponents are now working with Deborah Dyson, a Tillamook County-based attorney who works with nonprofits and charter schools, to draft a petition that will meet revisions to the statutes which take effect this month ( January 2012 ).
A quorum of the Corbett School Board was in attendance at the meeting held by the committee, run by George Fisher and Connie Kennedy Buttaccio, in Cascade Locks on January 11, 2012, though they did not join in discussion.
From that meeting it was shared that the school in Cascade Locks could ultimately be an extension, expansion or even another Charter school if that is the choice of CSD. Redistricting would also mean that any bond or levy that comes before the public for a vote in the future for Corbett Schools, would be voted on by residents in Cascade Locks as well.
“If either Corbett or Hood River County school districts do not give their blessing to the change, the petition could still be forwarded to the counties for a decision.” For details on this check out this article from December 2011 in the Hood River News. ”
If no remonstrance petition on the change or merger is submitted requiring an election as provided in subsection (2) of this section, the board shall issue an order that the change or merger shall become effective …. For The Oregon Laws involved with this merger see here.
Ummmm so does this mean that the Corbett community DOES NOT GET A SAY OR A VOTE before this happens????? It reads like all they need is a petition and if there isn’t a petition to say “we want a vote” in time that then they can just make this happen even if one or both schools don’t really want this?!!
It seems like it could mean that, legally. It all depends on what happens and if their petition is submitted with the required number of signatures, the notice is public as outlined here: http://www.oregonlaws.org/ors/2007/330.400, and no opposition petition is received…. then according to the above article, REGARDLESS if either school district really wants the actual redistricting – it COULD actually just happen. I am not a lawyer – but that sounds creepy to me. ??? Anyone else?
In this case, with the petition crossing county lines and service district, Oregon Department of Education spokeswoman Christine Miles said that the ODE legal team thought the petition would likely need a public vote in both counties to pass in order to be legal.
“Petitions would need to be served at each county and both counties would have to vote on it,” Miles said. “From what I understand it has to be approved by the voters. You are talking about counties and county dollars. It would have to go before an ESD then it would have to go before a vote to make sure all voices are heard.”
http://www.hoodrivernews.com/ns/news-headlines/8369/cascade-locks-school-merger-idea-means-journey-into-the-unknown-for-hood-river-corbett-school-districts
One can only assume, the signatures being gathered will be obtained while standing outside of Rosauer’s or Walmart, in Hood River. I believe it would be hard to acquire the necessary 500 registered voters from Cascade Locks community members and/or parents with kids enrolled in the current school. Why would you want to let a parent know that you are trying to change the district of the school your kids are attending, that’s NOT how George and Connie roll!
Hey, sign our petition about a school you’ve never heard of and will give you a coupon for a free car wash.
Cascade Locks seeks K-12 return
January 28, 2012
http://www.hoodrivernews.com/ns/news-headlines/8659/cascade-locks-seeks-k-12-return
From what I have read in the paper, Corbett is in no financial position to take on the operation of the Cascade Locks school. The people of Cascade Locks are not being told the truth about how this boundary line adjustment will affect their families lives. The 500 signatures will be collected throughout the entire county of Hood River, not just Cascade Locks residents. Then it will be voted on, but not by the residents of Corbett and Cascade Locks, it will be voted on by the Hood River and Multnomah County Commissioners. If Corbett decides they do not have the revenue to operate Cascade Locks school they will close it and bus the kids of Cascade Locks to Corbett. The residents of Cascade Locks will not have any recourse in the matter and the kids who are currently happy going to school in Hood River will have that choice taken away from them. Cascade Locks will be the biggest losers if the boundary line changes and we are incorporated with Multnomah County. Oh sure Cascade Locks will be able to vote on school bonds, I wonder how our average of 300 voters will compare to that of Multnomah County’s? The worst part of this fiasco is that the people of Cascade Locks are once again being lied to by it’s leaders. Hood River County has said it will keep the school open for K-5. They have no plan to close it, what about Corbett School District? I wonder what the Corbett parents think about busing their kids to Cascade Locks? If you don’t like living in Hood River County maybe you should just move and leave the rest of us who are happy here alone! We don’t need dictators telling us where we can send our kids to school! The truth is Hood River offers an excellent education for our kids with great sports programs and after school activities. It is appealing to many to live in our small community and still be able to send our kids to a 5A school with a great selection of electives.
Now some will say that without a school in the community of Cascade Locks, businesses will not come here. I say that we have had a school in Cascade Locks for years and years and businesses have not come here. It is the responsibility of the City and the Port to market our town and bring jobs to Cascade Locks. Our school and our community will continue to shrivel up and die without jobs to employ people.
I live in Cascade Locks and I am a parents of two students, one in Cascade Locks School and on at Hood River. No one has been to my house to collect a signature, nor have I seen anyone around town….I am happy with education that my children are receiving in CLS and HRMS….Has anyone in Corbett see anyone collecting signature? I have a sinking feeling that they are only collecting signature from non parents…..just wondering…
Please, we need all your concerns and stories to be heard. Please contact me ASAP and I will share with you how we can stop this unfair practice. The more of you that get involved this time around, the better the chances and the swifter the blow will be to Bob and his Tranny friend. Their house of cards will implode and we are going to expose their “achillies heel”. We need your support, our group is growing as we speak, but we need you! contact me at
jhorton311@gmail.com
My name is Joe Horton and I fight fearlessly. I am not hiding my identity so you can hide behind me until you feel secure.