Mapleton School Seeks Charter Status
The Mapleton School District is moving forward with plans to become a single-district charter school. On June 8th, the district’s governing board approved a transition to Mapleton Community School, a change aimed at strengthening long-term sustainability and expanding opportunities for students and families. Superintendent Susan Wilson says a draft charter plan is already available for public review.
Wilson: “We’re seeking feedback to that plan right now. We’ll continue to revise that, there will be a short board meeting, special session just for that plan. Once that’s approved it will go to the Department of Education and then we’ll be operating in that way.”
The school will remain a public school under the Mapleton School District, with district officials continuing to gather feedback before submitting the final proposal later this summer.
Pump Prices Decline
Drivers are getting a bit of relief at the pump this week. According to AAA Oregon/Idaho, the national average for regular gasoline has dropped 13 cents to $4.16 a gallon, while Oregon’s average is down 10 cents to $5.10. Crude oil prices have remained below $100 a barrel for three weeks, helping ease fuel costs despite ongoing tensions in the Middle East. In Florence, drivers are seeing an even bigger break, with regular gas falling about 20 cents this week to $4.99 a gallon. AAA says market volatility is expected to continue as summer travel demand increases and events in the Middle East unfold.
Certifying the Election
The Lane County Elections Office expects to post final results from the May Primary Election by 5 p.m. today, several days ahead of the original certification schedule. Lane County Clerk Tommy Gong says yesterday was the deadline for voters to resolve challenged ballots caused by missing or non-matching signatures on ballot return envelopes. Nearly 1,000 ballots remained outstanding heading into the deadline. Elections staff will now process any cured ballots and prepare the final vote count. Once results are posted, the county will begin the certification process with the Oregon Secretary of State’s Office.
