Backers of initiative to boost Oregon's high school graduation rate turn in 125,000 signatures

Press Conference_Butch Stetson.jpg

Butch Stetson, an auto shop teacher at Silverton High, speaks at a rally to support a proposed high school graduation measure. One provision would expand career-technical education in Oregon high schools. Behind him in blue, campaign manager Dave Rosenfeld holds a dog belonging to Peter Zuckerman, who has worked on other issue campaigns and supports this one.

(courtesy of Campaign for IP65)

Backers of an initiative designed to boost Oregon's low high school graduation rate on Thursday turned in what they say are more than enough signatures to qualify the measure for the November ballot.

Their proposal, labeled Initiative Petition 65 for now, would earmark state funding that would have been spent on other things to give high schools an average of $800 per student to spend on approaches that backers say will help more students graduate:

* Close monitoring of students for early signs they're at risk of dropping out.

* More career-technical courses.

* More college-level courses.

* Outreach to prevent chronic absenteeism.

* Academic and social support for potential dropouts, including increased tutoring, counseling and summer school.

* Coaching and exposure to job opportunities and career skills.

Coming up with enough money to add those programs without hurting existing ones hinges on sufficient growth in state revenues. Under the measure, schools would get less than $800 per student in 2017-18 if the state's two-year budget for 2017-19 isn't at least $1.5 billion larger than the current spending plan.

Oregon has one of the nation's worst on-time graduation rates and also ranks near the bottom at preventing chronic absenteeism.

Backers of the measure include the pro-student lobby Oregon Stand for Children. Former Gov. Ted Kulongoski is a chief petitioner. It has been endorsed by the Oregon School Boards Association, the Coalition of Communities of Color and the Latino Network.

So far, there is no organized opposition.

If the measure qualifies for the ballot, and if voters approve it, the money would flow to high schools beginning in 2017-18.

The state audits division would conduct audits every other year to check whether the money is used properly and is working to improve graduation rates.

To quality for the ballot, backers must turn in 88,184 valid signatures. They say they collected more than 125,000 signatures.

--  Betsy Hammond

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