SENATE COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION

February 18, 2003 Hearing Room C

3:00 PM Tapes 17 - 18

MEMBERS PRESENT: Sen. Charles Starr, Chair

Sen. Ryan Deckert, Vice-Chair

Sen. Ted Ferrioli

Sen. Bill Morrisette

STAFF PRESENT: Jan McComb, Committee Administrator

Heather Gravelle, Committee Assistant

MEASURE/ISSUES HEARD: Informational Meeting

SB 238 - Public Hearing and Work Session

SB 372 - Public Hearing

Informational Meeting

These minutes are in compliance with Senate and House Rules. Only text enclosed in quotation marks reports a speaker’s exact words. For complete contents, please refer to the tapes.

TAPE/#	Speaker	Comments
TAPE 17, A
005	Chair Starr	Calls meeting to order at 3:05p.m. Opens Informational Meeting.
INFORMATIONAL MEETING
015	John Longanecker	Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education. Provides written testimony (EXHIBITS A, B).
020	Longanecker	Explains the programs within Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education.
170	Sen. Morrisette	Inquires where the collected data originated.
175	Longanecker	Describes history.
180	Sen. Morrisette	Asks if the data is in step with economic trends.
185	Longanecker	Replies and elaborates.
220	Longanecker	Explains policy goals.
240	Longanecker	Comments Oregon has one of the lowest college completion rates.
340	Longanecker	Expresses access is a risk. Oregon has one of the highest tuition rates in the West.
TAPE 18, A
010	Chair Starr	Closes informational meeting. Opens public hearing on SB 238.
SB 238 – PUBLIC HEARING
015	Nan Heim	Oregon Library Association. Testifies in support of SB 238.
020	Jim Scheppke	Oregon State Library. Testifies in support of SB 238. Provides written testimony (EXHIBIT C).
025	Scheppke	States SB 238 would not create a burden on local school districts.
040	Kelly Kuntz	Oregon Educational Media Association. Testifies in support of SB 238. Provides written testimony (EXHIBIT D).
075	Sen. Morrisette	Inquires how many elementary schools have certified librarians.
080	Kuntz	Approximates number of certified librarians.
110	Chair Starr	Closes public hearing on SB 238. Opens work session on SB 238.
SB 238 – WORK SESSION
115	Sen. Deckert	MOTION: Moves SB 238 to floor with a DO PASS recommendation.
		VOTE: 4-0
120	Chair Starr	Hearing no objection, declares the motion CARRIED. SEN. MORRISETTE will lead discussion on the floor.
125	Chair Starr	Closes work session on SB 238. Opens public hearing on SB 372.
SB 372 – PUBLIC HEARING
150	Sen. David Nelson	District 29. Testifies in support of SB 372.
175	Joe McElligott	Ione resident. Testifies in support of SB 372. Provides written testimony from Al Meunier (EXHIBITS E, F).
220	McElligott	Explains position. States the school was developed to increase population.
290	McElligott	Provides history. Cuts were made to create long term stability.
400	Anne Morter	Ione resident. Testifies in support of SB 372.
TAPE 17, B
005	Sen. Kate Brown	District 21.Testifies in support of SB 372. Provides written testimony (EXHIBIT F).
020	Sen. Brown	States schools will close if SB 3721 does not pass. Comments the school is the life blood of the community. States it would be a disservice if the schools were consolidated.
030	Sen. Morrisette	Inquires if supporting SB 372 would set a new trend.
035	Sen. Brown	Asserts it may.
040	Lisa Rietmann	Ione resident. Testifies in support of SB 372. Speaks on the fiscal impact of SB 372.
085	Sen. Morrisette	Asks if the school districts were once consolidated.
090	Rietmann	Provides history of the school districts.
100	Sen. Morrisette	Asks what the population is in Ione.
105	McElligott	Approximates Ione population.
135	John Osburn	Attorney. Testifies in support of SB 372. Provides written testimony (EXHIBIT G).
200	Chuck Bennett	Confederation of Oregon School Administrators. Testifies against SB 372. Comments there needs to be more discussion. Adds if the issue can’t be resolved locally, at that point come back before the committee for resolution.
260	Chair Starr	Closes public hearing on SB 372. Opens informational meeting on Charter Schools in Texas.
INFORMATIONAL MEETING
295	Kevin Youngblood	Pathway Publishers. Explains he helped to establish 23 campus Texas charter schools to address needs of at risk inner city youth.
320	Youngblood	States he believes that charter schools help to provide a better education.
TAPE 18, B
015	Youngblood	Comments he established Pathway Publishers to create computerized curriculum to meet the needs of at risk youth.
040	Chair Starr	Inquires what the impact has been.
045	Youngblood	Outlines impacts.
060	Chair Starr	Inquires what type of youth is targeted.
070	Youngblood	Identifies target areas.
090	Chair Starr	Asks for a five year projection.
095	Youngblood	Indicates goals.
140	Sen. Deckert	Asks what the challenges are.
145	Youngblood	Specifies challenges.
185	Sen. Morrisettee	Comments the education process is revolutionary, we need innovative ideas to teach children.
190	Chair Starr	Closes information meeting. Adjourns meeting at 5:00 p.m.

EXHIBIT SUMMARY

A – Informational, written report, John Longanecker, 2 pp

B – Informational, written report, John Longanecker, 8 pp

C – SB 238, written testimony, Jim Scheppke, 1 p

D – SB 238, written testimony, Kelly Kuntz, 1 p

E – SB 372, written testimony, Al Meunier, 1 p

F – SB 372, written testimony, Sen. Kate Brown, 1 p

G – SB 372, written testimony, John Osburn, 3 pp