Whisnant raises school questions

Sisters students and parents apparently made an impression on Rep. Gene Whisnant, R-Sunriver, when they visited him during the Stand for Children rally at the state Capitol on February 21.

“I was struck by the sincerity and the candor of the concerns of the students and parents regarding Sisters schools,” Whisnant wrote in a letter to Sisters School Superintendent Ted Thonstad. Whisnant is a member of the budget-writing Joint Committee on Ways and Means, and more a member of the subcommittee on education.

The Central Oregon legislator didn’t just say nice things and sign off, though.

He posed half a dozen questions seeking information about the local school system. Thonstad replied with a three-page letter providing the information sought and making a pitch for stronger state fiscal support of the public schools.

Among other things, he enclosed a chart showing how “the various funding scenarios being considered by the Legislature” would affect Sisters schools. For example, the chart shows that Gov. Ted Kulongoski’s beginning state budget proposal of $5.0 billion for schools for the next biennium would leave Sisters roughly $334,000 short of maintaining its current program in 2005-06, assuming that the five instructional days being cut this year (2004-05) were restored.

Each additonal $100 million added to the state pot would produce about $104,000 in additional Sisters revenue. Thus, if the Legislature approved a biennial appropriation of $5.3 billion, Sisters would come within $20,000 of staying even — that is, maintaining current programs with restoration of the five lost days.

An appropriation of $5.3 billion seems within reach today because of several factors, including an increase in state general fund revenue projected in the latest (February) official estimate. As a result, Kulongoski himself last week increased his own proposal for education to $5.25 billion, some $250 million more than his December budget.

“Five billion was a starting point,” he declared. “When we invest in education, we invest in our children, we invest in our economy, and we invest in our future.”

The governor does not have the final word, of course. His own Democratic party has a majority in the Senate this year but Republicans, including Gene Whisnant, control the House. Some form of partisan compromise will ultimately be necessary.

Whisnant’s questions to Thonstad covered topics ranging from textbook purchase policies to class sizes, the availability of foreign language classes and the condition of athletic equipment. He has received copies of the current school budget and the teachers’ contract.

Thonstad supplied detailed information on all points. In terms of class size, for instance, he said the district has long tried to keep classes small.

The ideal maximum student-teacher ratios at different levels are: kindergarten, 20 to 1; grades 1-3, 22 to 1; grades 4-5, 24 to 1; and grades 6-12, 25 to 1. Those ratios are exceeded today.

“Two years ago, there were no classes with over 30 students in the district,” Thonstad wrote. “Today there are classes in all three buildings with more than 30 students: fifth-grade classes exceed 30; seventh-grade science is 35, 35, and 31 in the three sections. Language Arts and Spanish classes at the high school are at 35; 10th-grade honors English has 39 students; and other classes at the middle school and high school often exceed 30 and can have over 40 students (sixth-grade PE has 44students).”

Thonstad invited Whisnant to visit the district April 22.