Principals Seek to Temporarily Close Taft Middle School

The possibility of converting schools to a kindergarten-through-third-grade, and a fourth-through-sixth-grade configuration will be studied next year

Salem-News.com

(Lincoln City) - On Tuesday, principals from the north Lincoln County public schools will submit a recommendation to the Lincoln County School Board to close Taft Middle School for at least a year, and convert Taft High into a seventh-through-12th-grade school.

Taft Middle Principal Steve Kilduff said it will not be decided for at least another year if Taft Middle will be closed permanently. In the next year, the steering committee and school district will examine Oceanlake and Taft elementary schools for possible permanent closure.

The recommendation is for Oceanlake and Taft Elementary to still be kindergarten- through-sixth-grade schools for the 2006-07 school year.

District officials said closing the school permanently will save them approximately $360,000 a year.

They added that key reasons for these possible changes include a budget deficit, loss of student enrollment, increases in heating and lighting bills and a costly landslide in the back of Newport Middle School property in 2005.

If Taft High becomes a seventh-through-12th-grade school, the plan is to have the school become a closed campus, which means students cannot leave during the day, unless they have permission. Taft High Principal Dave Phelps says they hope this will help improve attendance at the school. There have been situations when students left for lunch and did not return to school he said.

Kilduff plans to have meetings with sixth-grade parents and students to talk about the possible move to the high school building.

Phelps plans to meet with his students to talk about the possibility of the middle school students coming to Taft High. He wants the older students to understand the need to make the new students feel welcome and safe when they enter this new environment. And if the students come he wants a smooth transition so the school remains safe for all.