SENATE COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION

February 25, 2003 Hearing Room C

3:00 p.m. Tapes 21-23

MEMBERS PRESENT: Sen. Charles Starr, Chair

Sen. Ryan Deckert, Vice-Chair

Sen. Ted Ferrioli

Sen. Bill Morrisette

STAFF PRESENT: Jan McComb, Committee Administrator

Romy Dye, Committee Assistant

MEASURE/ISSUES HEARD: SB 388 – Public Hearing and Work Session

SB 282 – Public Hearing

SB 283 – Public Hearing

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 21, A
005	Chair Starr	Calls meeting to order at 3:04 PM. Opens a public hearing on SB 388.
SB 388 – PUBLIC HEARING
007	Sen. Metsger	Provides overview of SB 388.
033	Tom Welter	Executive Director, Oregon School Activities Association (OSAA). Provides overview of OSAA program. Submits written material. (EXHIBIT A).
086	Mike Wallmark	Assistant Executive Director, Oregon School Activities Association (OSAA). Discusses proposed amendment to SB 388. Discusses OSAA program and process for school classification and district placement.
160	Sen. Morrisette	Asks whether research on reclassification criteria found.
164	Wallmark	Answers it is Article 9.
170	Chair Starr	Asks if review by the Department of Education of criteria is not opposed if moved forward.
175	Welter	Responds that is correct.
191	Jeff Baker	Attorney, Hood River County School District. Testifies in favor of SB 388. Discusses redistricting experience in Hood River. Suggests process for other schools be reviewed by Department of Education without increasing costs. Submits written testimony (EXHIBIT B).
256	Sen. Morrisette	Asks about concern for unclear guidelines for reviewing Hood River case because whether or not a law had been violated was the focus.
261	Baker	Responds process was unclear.
296	Sen. Morrisette	Asks for comment on SB 388 amendment.
297	Baker	Elaborates on amendment and positive aspects of it.
307	Sen. Morrisette	Asks about transfer in Hood River.
308	Baker	Responds they have moved to intermountain conference.
317	Steve Fisk	Co-Principal Hood River Valley High School. Testifies in support of SB 388. Provides examples of what transpired since move to intermountain conference. Comments that lessening sports is not a good thing.
368	Rick Dills	School District Administrator, Gresham Barlow Schools. Testifies in support of SB 388. Discusses personal experience of parenting a student competing in sports with son’s negative experiences and impact it has on kids and education.
TAPE 22, A
005	Dills	Discusses benefits of supporting SB 388.
044	Sen. Morrisette	Comments main focus for redistricting is enrollment numbers in schools.
048	Dills	Responds this issue had nothing to do with enrollment.
059	Jim Keene	Superintendent, Pendleton, Oregon. Testifies in opposition of SB 388. Comments OSAA is complete in their processes and has fine criteria for defining school placement and supports amendment. Submits written testimony (EXHIBIT C).
138	Paul Curtis	Director of Secondary Services, Pendleton, Oregon. Testifies in opposition of SB 388 but with amendment possibility of further clarification and organization better off. Discusses needing organization that mentions there is a process of appeal.
180	Chair Starr	Closes the public hearing on SB 388 and opens a work session on SB 388.
SB 388 – WORK SESSION
183	Sen. Morrisette	MOTION: Moves to ADOPT SB 388-2 amendments dated 02/24/03. (EXHIBIT F)
185		VOTE: 3-0 EXCUSED: 1 - Sen. Deckert
	Chair Starr	The motion CARRIES.
190	Sen. Morrisette	MOTION: Moves SB 388 to the floor with a DO PASS AS AMENDED recommendation.
195		VOTE: 3-0 AYE: In a roll call vote, all members present vote Aye. EXCUSED: 1 – Deckert
	Chair Starr	The motion CARRIES. SEN. METSGER will lead discussion on the floor.
205	Chair Starr	Closes the work session on SB 388 and opens a public hearing on SB 282.
SB 282 – PUBLIC HEARING
210	Roger Beyer	Oregon State Senator. Testifies in support of SB 282. Provides summary of SB 282.
274	Sen. Deckert	Asks whether students would switch to suburban school districts in next three or four months..
293	Sen. Beyer	Responds that could happen and comments on importance of space available issue in SB 282.
311	Chair Starr	Close the public hearing on SB 282 and opens a public hearing on SB 283.
SB 283 – PUBLIC HEARING
318	Roger Beyer	Oregon State Senator. Testifies in support of SB 283. Provides summary of SB 283.
376	Sen. Morrisette	Asks whether there is a K-12 in each district. that would split.
383	Beyer	Responds SB 283 does not address that issue.
390	Chair Starr	Closes the public hearing on SB 283 and reopens the public hearing on SB 282.
SB 282 – PUBLIC HEARING
412	Chuck Bennett	Confederation of Oregon School Administrators (COSA). Testifies in opposition of SB 282. Provides example of a district impacted by student’s moving to other districts. Submits written material (EXHIBIT D).
TAPE 21, B
005	Bennett	Discusses need for SB 282 to be worked substantially.
027	John Marshall	Oregon School Boards Association (OSBA). Discusses opposition of SB 282. Believes procedure in place to allow students to attend school in another school district works well and should be left alone.
059	Sen. Ferrioli	Asks about a district making policy decision to consider case by case which would force reconsideration of policy reasonable people make work until someone decides not to be reasonable and look at case-by-case situation.
068	Marshall	Responds referring to Gervais decision.
079	Sen. Deckert	Asks opinion on allowing choice amongst parents and their child attending school.
090	Marshall	Responds on local boards needing to make decisions for striking a balance in giving students and parents options while recognizing when students leave money also leaves creating financial strain on school and kids left.
110	Sen. Morrisette	Asks if school districts consistently refuse letting students transfer out of the district without making a rule that no way are they going to let someone transfer out.
126	Marshall	Respond does not have information on inter-district transfers available.
128	Sen. Morrisette	Expresses concerned for need of inter-district communication.
134	Bennett	Responds that shared responsibility exists.
150	Sen. Ferriolli	Asks how to answer critics to our system when they see us as protecting mediocrity in our schools.
176	Bennett	Responds issue is broad and flexibility is in districts to arrive at choice.
183	Sen. Ferriolli	Comments need to focus attention on popularity of private schools and home-schooling knowing academically some schools in Oregon are suffering. Suggests the need to look at it as a case by case basis. Asks if there is an appeal process.
221	Marshall	Responds not aware of any statutory appeals process.
228	Sen. Deckert	Comments on schools needing to be funded.
238	Marshall	Responds bills would not be here if proper funding.
245	Sen. Ferriolli	Elaborates further on school funding.
266	Patty O’Sullivan	Portland Public Schools (PPS). Testifies in opposition of SB 282. Explains PPS system. Discusses parameters for transfers.
332	Don Hansen	Oregon resident, Cresswell, Oregon. Testifies in support of SB 282.
TAPE 22, B
005	Brian Reeder	Department of Education. Discusses concern to bill’s language regarding definition of space available.
016	Sen. Morrisette	Asks if there can be space available.
019	Reeder	Responds there can be but capacity hard to do.
023	Doug Morgan	Vice-Chair, Silver Falls School District. Testifies in support of SB 282 for allowing school choice. People are on edge especially with Gervais School District and want to keep kids in school district and now robbed of opportunity.
066	Chair Starr	Asks for clarification on whether door is closed for future transfers.
072	Morgan	Responds there are no more transfers.
077	Sen. Deckert	Asks how many families affected retroactively.
080	Morgan	Responds at least 25 children mainly from same school.
091	Chair Starr	Closes the public hearing on SB 282 and opens a public hearing on SB 283.
SB 283 – PUBLIC HEARING
107	Chuck Bennett	Confederation of Oregon School Administrators (COSA). Testifies in opposition of SB 283. Discusses small districts and proper funding.
147	Sen. Ferriolli	Comments on consolidation of districts and things can change.
156	Bennett	Responds now is not the time to change.
160	Sen. Ferriolli	Asks if that advice tracks to adjustments to funding formulas and other controversial issues.
164	Bennett	Comments not asking for changes in funding formulas.
168	Sen. Morrisette	Asks if unified school district was part of the action.
171	Bennett	Responds does not know.
174	Sen. Morrisette	Elaborates further.
178	Chair Starr	Comments on underserved students. Asks whether charter schools would help meet the needs of students that might want to opt-out of the district they are presently engaged with.
201	Bennett	Responds charter schools is a successful choice developed in Oregon in a number of districts. States that array is available but problems arise where stable funded school districts break up around issues not addressing finance question.
220	Brian Reeder	Department of Education (DOE). Testifies DOE neutral on SB 283. Provides information on school study that district size matters in relation to costs. Suggests finances on school needs to be addressed with impact on community as well.
310	Alan Brown	Oregon State Representative. Discusses concern in Lincoln County regarding balancing budget.
315	Ray Grady	Oregon resident, Lincoln County. Testifies in support of SB 283. Submits written testimony (EXHIBIT E).
TAPE 23, A
005	Sen. Morrisette	Asks whether net personal income loss is per year.
008	Grady	Responds that is for salaries in the first year.
015	Sharon Branstiter	Mayor, City of Toledo. Testifies in support of SB 283. Discusses longstanding dissatisfaction in Lincoln County pertaining to schools. Plea is to study districts and propose for smaller districts with need to protect smaller schools but not at a cost increase.
098	Sen. Morrisette	Comments would like to keep small schools intact.
113	Grady	Comments on cost of students leaving Eddyville School District.
133	Chair Starr	Closes the public hearing on SB 283 and adjourns the meeting at 5:10 PM.

EXHIBIT SUMMARY

A – SB 388, OSAA information packet, Tom Welter, 11 pp

B – SB 388, written testimony, Jeff Baker, 2 pp

C – SB 388, written testimony, Jim Keene, 6 pp

D – SB 282, new article, Chuck Bennett, 1 pp

E – SB 283, written testimony, Ray Grady, 4 pp

The following exhibit is listed out of order in the body of the tape log:

F – SB 388, -2 amendments dated 02/24/03, staff, 1 p