Classes start for all Ashland students on Tuesday, Aug. 26, as the 2025-26 school year kicks off and, with it, some new leadership at Ashland schools, including new interim principals Francisco Lopez Atanes at Ashland High School and Susan Hollandsworth at Helman Elementary School.
Ashland School District officials plan to make arrangements over the weekend to relocate an alternative education program from Lincoln School to Ashland High School following the emergency closure of the nearly 100-year-old building after an annual inspection by the city fire marshal turned up severe structural issues.
UPDATE: The Lincoln School in Ashland was closed on Thursday by the city’s Fire Marshal following a fire inspection. The closure impacts two educational programs housed at Lincoln. The district is working to contact families about where their children will attend classes on Monday.
Classes aren’t back in session just yet, but there were lessons learned this week at Talent Middle School and Phoenix High School. A training exercise on Monday was months in the making, involving Phoenix, Talent and Ashland police departments and upwards of 100 volunteers, including Phoenix High School football players and students, staff and parent volunteers.
Through a partnership with Jackson Care Connect, Phoenix-Talent School District is hosting its first Healthy Start Block Party at Phoenix High School from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 23. The free community fair will offer a wide range of free resources to local students and their families, including from Talent and Ashland.
“The Teenage Brain: Impacts on Despair, Homelessness & Substance Abuse” is a free public program at the Ashland Public Library on Sept. 2 to discuss the wide array of challenges that teens face before their brains are fully developed.
State Rep. Pam Marsh, D-Ashland recapped the 2025 legislative for constituents during a Sunday, Aug. 3 town hall and ice cream social in Talent.
Southern Oregon University President Rick Bailey unveiled a provisional plan of action Friday to respond to a structural deficit at the higher education institution, declaring exigency on the campus, with draft plans to cut $10.5 million over the next three to three and half years; reduce staff by 64 positions, approximately half of which are considered layoffs.
Southern Oregon University President Rick Bailey’s 20% pay cut approved by SOU’s Board of Trustees on Wednesday follows on the heels of a 50% pay cut request for all SOU administrators by Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 503 President Sage TeBeest on behalf of SOU’s classified union membership to “preserve as many positions as possible” amid $6 million in looming cuts to the university.
Starting on Friday, Aug. 1, and per his own request to the Southern Oregon University Board of Trustees, SOU’s President Rick Bailey will take a 20% or $53,000 reduction to his $290,000 salary over the remainder of the fiscal year, following a unanimous virtual vote by SOU Trustees Wednesday afternoon.
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Ask Strider: A worried older brother asks our advice columnist’s advice. And a dog’s guardian wants to know if there is any hope getting their hat-hating dog to calm down. As always, Strider tries to give words that help!
After a successful production of “The Vagina Monologues” and raising more than $2,000 for Planned Parenthood of Southwestern Oregon, Ashland actor and director Lia Dugal intends for “The Climate Monologues” to premiere in Oregon in late 2025 or early 2026 at the Bellview Grange in Ashland.
It’s complicated.
Herbert Rothschild: Whether visualization and intention by themselves can effect broad social change is impossible to determine, but the question merits sustained consideration.
(It’s free)
