Support for Maintaining 4J Neighborhood Schools

WHEREAS the University of Oregon is part of a spectrum of educational opportunities in the city of Eugene from kindergarten through post-doctoral studies, and

WHEREAS this education, especially at the elementary and middle school level, currently occurs in appropriately sized neighborhood schools that are within walking and biking distance of most children, and

WHEREAS these existing neighborhood schools, especially those close to the UO campus, are vital to our community and help attract and retain students, staff, and faculty, and

WHEREAS, according to 4J analysis, many school buildings are in need of repairs and upgrades or wholesale replacement to meet current educational and code requirements, and

WHEREAS, in 2011, Eugene voters approved 20-183, a bond measure that funded $70 million in repairs to schools across the district, that includes funds earmarked for the very problems that have been identified in the 2012 report, including major system repairs and replacements, additions and remodels, and technology upgrades, and

WHEREAS modifications to existing schools rather than replacement or relocation recognizes the enormous value of existing schools to the neighborhoods, so be it

RESOLVED that the UO Senate strongly urges the 4J school district to preserve, maintain, and, where needed, renovate existing neighborhood schools, and in particular Edison Elementary School, rather than pursue consolidations and new construction.