Money For Vernonia Schools Part Of Senate Appropriations Bill

VERNONIA  FLOOD  EDUCATION 

By Andrew Theen

Portland, OR  July 17, 2008 12:54 a.m.

Oregon Senators Ron Wyden and Gordon Smith say a proposed appropriations bill for Labor, Health and Human Services includes over $3 million for Oregon programs.  The bill still has to go before the full Senate.

Of the total, $200,000 is slated to go to the Vernonia School District.

The Northwest Oregon town was hit hard by storms and flooding in early December, last year.  It was the second  so-called "100 year flood" in just over a decade.

Vernonia Schools Superintendent Ken Cox says the district can't build new schools away from the flood plain without help.

Ken Cox: "With us being hit twice and needing the move.  We really need to get some input from somewhere. The local community can't handle the whole 40 million themselves."

Cox said $40 million is a long way off. The buildings were insured, and Cox said he hopes to have $2-3 million of insurance money after repairs to put toward new buildings.  He said the goal is to use a combination of state, local, federal, and private money to raise enough funds to rebuild.

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