Skip to main contentGov. John Kitzhaber and many lawmakers approached the 2011 legislative session seeking significant changes in the way Oregon schools operate. So far, many of the bills Kitzhaber and allies such as Senate Education Committee Chairman Mark Hass (D-Beaverton) hoped to pass remain mired in committee.
Among the reforms: Kitzhaber wants all state education boards for K-12, community colleges and higher ed combined into one "Education Investment Board." He wants the ability to appoint rather than elect the state superintendent of public instruction. He wants to make it easier for charter schools to operate, and he's hoping for a measure that would allow districts to opt out of education service districts.
ESDs are regional providers of specialized services and also act as co-ops, combining the purchasing power of smaller districts. After a couple of scandals involving ESDs, Hass has tried over the last couple of sessions to pass legislation that reduces their role. (They currently get 4.75 percent of K-12 funding.) Senate Bill 250, which Kitzhaber supports, would allow school districts to opt out of ESDs if they think they can buy the same services for less money. ESDs don't like the bill.
SB 250 has encountered trouble in the budget-writing Ways and Means process, as shown in the widely circulated email exchange below between Joint Ways and Means Co-Chairman Peter Buckley (D-Ashland) and Hass:
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WWeek 2015