Vader School Board turns down tribe
Thursday, May 17, 2007 6:50 AM PDT
By Barbara LaBoe
Printable version
E-mail this articleSaying they're respecting voters' wishes, the Vader School Board said "no thank you" to the Cowlitz Indian Tribe Tuesday and voted to dissolve the school district this summer as planned.
The action means the district won't take money from the tribe to keep its school open another year, and students will attend Castle Rock schools in the fall.
The vote also resolves the uncertainty that's loomed over students, staff and board members for nearly two years due to three rounds of failed levies and bond measures. Last week's offer from the tribe had prolonged the suspense.
"The dissolution of Vader School District 18 will proceed, as desired by our voters," reads the board's resolution.
Cowlitz Chairman John Barnett shocked school and state officials alike last week by offering to pay to keep the school running another year. Vader staff and students moved to the tribe's St. Mary Academy in March after the Vader school was condemned. Barnett said tribe members grew close to the children and wanted to keep the small district going.
Vader Superintendent JoAnn Anshutz called the offer the answer to her prayers after spending three months planning for the district's demise.
Just like the beleaguered district, though, it's not clear if the plan was financially viable.
Barnett initially was told it would cost about $200,000 to keep the school open. But state officials warned late last week that it could cost as much as $560,000 to ensure the district didn't fall any further into debt.
The larger figure gave Barnett pause, but he said he would await firm estimates from state officials. Wednesday, he said he never saw those figures, and the matter is now moot.
"(The board) had to make a decision because of the state putting a lot of pressure on them to disband," he said. "It's too bad that kids have to be used as pawns in a situation like this, but I think they made the only decision they could."
Taking the tribe's money also would have meant running another levy and bond measure this fall -- a gamble given the three previous failures.
"Voters clearly indicated that they will not support a local school district," the board's resolution reads, leading the board to decline the tribe's "generous offer."
The Castle Rock School District already has agreed to take Vader students if the donation didn't work. Castle Rock Superintendent Rick Wilde said Wednesday those plans -- including meeting with Vader parents -- are proceeding.
A regional state committee still must sign off on Castle Rock absorbing the Vader district, but approval is expected. Any Vader students currently in Toledo or Winlock schools can remain there if they choose.
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