Larry Coonrod, Lebanon Express writer | Posted: Tuesday, January 15, 2008 4:00 pm
A motion at the Jan. 7 meeting of the Lebanon Community School Board to place an item on the agenda requiring the school district to provide transportation to charter school students was blocked by a 3-2 vote.
The board majority followed Superintendent Jim Robinson's recommendation that the issue be addressed in upcoming contract negotiations with Sand Ridge.
Rick Alexander sought to put the matter on the agenda after Jay Jackson, administrator of Sand Ridge Charter School, sent a letter to the board asking that bus transportation be part of the school's upcoming contract negotiations with the district.
In his request Jackson included a memo from from John Hitt, Lebanon city manager, requesting Sand Ridge bus students at its campus on South Main because of complaints the city had received of traffic congestion caused by students being picked up and dropped off.
Board Chair Sherrie Sprenger, Vice Chair Chris Fisher and Debi Shimmin voted against the proposal. Sprenger said she would like to have the district's transportation director present for the discussion. Fisher, as he has in the past, voiced his displeasure at Alexander not telling the board of his intentions to add agenda items in advance of the meeting.
"Waiting until the board meeting doesn't give the chance for the public to notified and given an opportunity to voice their opinion," Fisher said.
Jackson said the district has ignored its obligation under state law to provide transportation to charter school students.
Not so, said Robinson. "I'd be interested in any instance of a Sand Ridge student being turned down."
The law requires the district to transport charter school students as long as doing so does not requiring extending existing bus lines or adding new ones.
Jackson said he was not aware of any Sand Ridge student who had been denied riding on district buses, but added he could not speak for all the families.
District Transportation Director Pat Green said no charter student has been turned down in the past. This year there have been no requests by Sand Ridge families to ride the buses.
Two buses go by the South Main campus, where classes start at 8:15 a.m., between 7:42 a.m. and 7:50 a.m. but are at capacity. In the afternoon, two buses go by 15 minutes before Sand Ridge lets out at 3:05 p.m. and another one passes by at 4:10 p.m.
Students at Sand Ridge's Sodaville campus face a similar problem. The last morning bus passes by the school 50 minutes before classes start. In the afternoon they go by 15 minutes before and about an hour after the last bell.
Congestion at Sand Ridge Charter School's South Main campus does not appear to be a problem at the present time, but city officials say if a planned subdivision receives approval it could become one.
PIE operates a K-3 charter school and a private preschool at the South Main location, in the building formerly occupied by the Lebanon Chapel. Jackson said about 160 students, including 141 charter students attend the school.
A Corvallis development firm has proposed putting in 20 single family homes and a 102-unit apartment complex near the charter school.
Asked about the nature of the complaints, Hitt characterized them as concerns expressed to the city's Development Review Committee.
"I don't think it's a big problem now," Hitt said. "The worry is if the subdivision is approved.
Walt Wendolowski, community development manager, said he isn't aware of any traffic concerns expressed to the committee during the six months since he was hired.
PIE opened the South Main campus this fall.
Jim Ruef, director of the public works department, said he frequently drives South Main and isn't aware of any congestion problems.
"In fact, there is less traffic now than when the building was used as a church," Ruef said. "The congestion is pretty bad on school grounds, but that is private property. It's not really impacting South Main."
In addition to a church, the Lebanon Chapel operated a private school there from 1980 until the church moved to its new location at The River Center in the old Wal-Mart building last year, Pastor Keith Stroup said.
The church school enrolled about 70 students a year.
"We had no complaints, none what so ever about traffic," Stroup said.