Work Session on Eugene Field School
Monday, March 17, 6 p.m.
District Office, 802 Schlador St.
By Kristine Thomas
This time, the clock is ticking on a decision about the fate of Eugene Field School.
Although in years past there have been many discussions on what to do with the 93-year-old facility, this time there is a recommendation to close the school, whether or not there is a new building on the horizon.
The Silver Falls School District’s Eugene Field Facility Task Force has unanimously recommended permanently closing the school by the 2016-17 school year.
At its February meeting, the district board of directors listened to the task force presentation of its recommendation. Two weeks later the board met with the Silverton City Council to discuss the building and its property. Then, at its March meeting the board took community input.
Now, the board must decide what action to take on the recommendation, Silver Falls Superintendent Andy Bellando said.
The school board will hold a work session to review and discuss the information it has received on March 17, 6 p.m. at the district office, 802 Schlador St. The meeting is open to the public, however, the board will not be taking public comment nor will it take any final action. The board may hold a second work session on April 7.
Silver Falls School Board Chairman Tim Roth said it is his hope the board will reach a decision on what to do with the school by its April 14 regular meeting.
The task force’s recommendation included consideration of where to relocate the school based on safety, community input and the economy. It also recommended placing a bond on the November ballot. The task force report emphasized it supports continued operation of all other district schools and collaboration with Community Roots Charter School Board to plan a permanent home for the charter school. It also recommended developing an action plan for future use of the Eugene Field downtown Silverton site.
During the March 10 meeting, Gene Pfeifer told the board he believes the school can be repaired and remodeled, presenting an estimated budget for doing so. Pfeifer actively campaigned against the failed May 2013 bond measure that would have funded replacement of the school.
The board did not discuss Pfeifer’s submission, having had no opportunity to review it. Bellando said it is up to the discretion of the board whether Pfeifer’s plan is discussed at its work session.
Joanne Stone, the task force facilitator, told the board that the task force did consider the option of remodeling.
“We have all remodeled homes and we know as we take off the layers that it costs more than we thought,” she said. “Once you get into that wall or that roof, you don’t know what’s behind it.”
One critical factor in recommending to close the school, Stone added, is the school’s location. It is between two highways on a site that is too small to accommodate the school’s population, she said.
“We rejected the idea of keeping the school open because the site is inadequate and it is in a poor place,” Stone said.
Bellando said task force members were a diverse group. In addition to Stone they included Barb Rivoli, Bob Dedrick, Jonathan Edmonds, Dean Oster, Stacy Posegate, Tom Schmidgall, Bob Schmidt, Dan Kaplan and Garth King. The task force reviewed information including current and future classroom use, technology, plans for full-day kindergarten and safety.
Since the defeat of the May bond measure, the district has sought community members input. What the board is hearing, Bellando said, is the community is generally concerned about the safety and well being of the students and staff at Eugene Field.
“Much of the public realizes the building has outlasted its useful life,” Bellando said.
