Letter: Startling numbers

Published 12:15 am Thursday, September 26, 2024

The numbers in the Oregon Capital Chronicle’s article (The Astorian, Sept. 14) on the Jewell School District’s lawsuit against the Oregon Department of Forestry were startling. I’m not just referring to the $148,000 the district already owes to John DiLorenzo, the lawyer who failed to bring home the bacon in the bogus Linn County billion-dollar suit against the ODF a few years ago, and not just his $955 per hour fee.

I was more startled that teachers — in a school district that has half the number of students per class than the average K-12 school in Oregon — still need six education assistants and two administrators to oversee and coordinate this tiny district.

I got a high-quality education in Grants Pass, where class sizes were triple Jewell, and we had one administrator. Maybe a few layoffs would be a good starting place to balance Jewell’s budget if there is much impact from the habitat conservation plan.

In addition to a cushy teacher/student ratio, Jewell reports a $20 million nest egg. Why file a lawsuit that has almost zero chance of success? The Oregon Board of Forestry made the decision to pursue the habitat conservation plan, not the ODF.

This is another timber industry-inspired attempt to rescind the habitat conservation plan, which is about much more than saving habitat for wildlife. It’s about clean water, reduced fire danger and mitigating climate change, which, if asked, I think the students of Jewell would support.

ROGER DORBAND

Astoria