CC Minutes - 04/11/01 Work Session

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Responding to the concerns expressed by students regarding large class sizes, the impact of growth, lack of classes, and the need for new student facilities, Mr. Kelly observed that it was "all of a piece"; he said the voters turned over control of Oregon schools to the State government in 1990, and until that direction could be changed, he worried about the future. In response to a question from Mr. Pap6, Mr. Klote described the change in school counselors at Churchill and noted the high turnover among counselors. Mr. Pap6 urged Mr. Klote to share his concerns about the lack of counselors with Superintendent George Russell and the 4J School Board. Ms. Bettman left the meeting. Billy Schneider and Cami Smith of New Roads joined the council. Ms. Smith said that a problem that New Roads students experienced with the school was its location; there were drug addicts who hung out in the back of the school in the alley and harassed students without provocation. She said that the school was located near 7th Avenue, a busy street with traffic traveling at high rates of speed, and the street was difficult for students to cross because the nearest crosswalk was a block away. Ms. Smith said the student population was increasing rapidly; the school's kitchen is small, and students have to share a single unisex bathroom. Mr. Schneider commended the New Roads program for helping youth in getting an education and for providing them with a small stipend. He said that students pledge funds for various causes and serve as volunteers. Students do weekly neighborhood clean-ups to improve the area, and were discussing conducting some car washes to raise money to improve New Roads. Responding to a question from Mr. Rayor, Mayor Torrey clarified that New Roads was an alternative school of the 4J District and the facility was under the jurisdiction of the school district. He said that the condition of the facility could be a subject of discussion at the upcoming meeting between the council and the two school districts. Mr. Rayor thought the facility was substandard and asked if the City had a role to play. He wanted to contact the school district and urge improvements. Mr. Rayor expressed appreciation to the students for attending the meeting, noting he had been unaware of the location of New Roads prior to the meeting. Mr. Kelly expressed concern over the size of the waiting list for New Roads, saying he thought it indicated the existing need was not being met. He suggested that the council's Human Services Commission representatives consider the issue in terms of funding priorities. Ms. Taylor questioned why New Roads could not be housed in a school that was being closed by the school district. Stephanie Proctor and Mandy Jolly of North Eugene High School joined the council. Ms. Jolly said that many of the concerns of North Eugene students had been expressed already. She cited parking and students in the halls as examples. Ms. Jolly discussed the leadership classes' community service. She said the school had a smoking problem with students leaving school to smoke nearby. There could also be drug-related activity occurring there. Ms. Jolly said there was a limited amount of supervision available to oversee those activities. Ms. Proctor said that the number of students leaving school was a problem as they spilled off the sidewalk and impeded traffic for motorists. She thought the students participating in such activities felt neglected; there had been meetings to reach out to those students, who were open to input. Ms. Jolly agreed. She said that the meetings had been successful and students involved said they felt treated as people. MINUTE--Eugene City Council April 11, 2001 Page 3 Work Session