The following transcript was generated using automated transcription software for the accessibility and convenience of our audience. While we strive for accuracy, the automated process may introduce errors, omissions, or misinterpretations. This transcript is intended as a helpful companion to the original audio and should not be considered a verbatim record. For the most accurate representation, please refer to the audio recording.
MICHAEL DUNNE: I’m Michael Dunne. Oregon has been a growth state for so long that it’s sometimes easy to forget our population has hit a stagnation point. Part of that issue is that birth rates in Oregon have been declining, and that drop is now showing up in lower enrollment in our schools. Locally, all of our school districts are feeling that decline through strapped budgets. Fewer students means fewer dollars from the state.
Today on the show, we check in with the education reporter at The Register-Guard to talk about the budget challenges facing the Springfield School District and the pushback board members and administrators are getting from angry students and parents. Then, in the last part of the show, we’ll check in with our own Love Cross, who is launching a new series about emergency preparedness…