Board should send referendum to voters in April

The Medford school board is on the right track in moving toward sending a leaner and more educationally focused high school renovation plan to voters.

This week board members again met with staff from Findorff and PRA to further refine the project, balancing district needs with the priorities of local voters. Board members have taken the lesson of last spring’s overwhelming defeat of a $39.9 million project and have gone back to the drawing board with a plan that eliminates both a new theater and a new gym. These two items were major bones of contention for opponents of the referendum who viewed them as “wants” rather than district “needs.”

The project overview presented on Monday laid out a $29.5 million proposal which seeks to address educational, security and structural needs at the high school while also improving traffic flow by providing an additional access road to CTH Q from the elementary school.

The emphasis in the project is on renovations and expansion of the technical education area. With jobs in trades projected to remain in high demand, it is important for Medford students to have hands-on access and training in these areas. Likewise, science spaces and other classroom additions will serve to modernize the delivery of education providing flexibility for educational spaces for generations to come. The project, as proposed, also addressed the very real problem of having insufficient spaces in the building for professionals to meet and provide services in a confidential setting. While this was not part of the educational reality when the building was built a half century ago, it is a very real part of the current educational world and a practical necessity.

While looking at these needs, it is also important to avoid spending where costs can be avoided.

It was refreshing to see board member John Zuleger question proposals and viewing the project through the lens of what voters will approve rather than going along with what the engineers feel would be good to include. Zuleger is correct in that adding 162 parking spaces in a new lot at the front of the school is not necessary given the district’s already substantial parking lot area. With a finite amount of dollars available, new classroom spaces for technology and sciences far outweigh the benefits of being able to park closer to the main entrance.

Likewise, it is legitimate to question how far ahead the district should try to get with longterm maintenance projects. The district maintains an ongoing longterm maintenance plan that will occur regardless of if a referendum passes. Much as a homeowner would consider replacing windows if they were in the process of residing their home, the school board is looking at what projects make sense to get done while areas of the building are already torn up and including them in any referendum project. While it would be nice to do everything, that may not be feasible and instead the projects selected to be included should be focused on need and practicality.

On December 20, the representatives from Findorff and PRA will bring a revised plan to the school board addressing the concerns raised. At that meeting, board members will be asked to decide on if a referendum should be sent to voters.

Provided that the changes are made, board members should send the streamlined plan to voters for approval next April.