Public education is the bedrock of American democracy and essential for an informed citizenry. But what does it mean when Ashland now has fewer kindergartners than high schoolers – and where do charter/alternative schools fit in?

“The Future of Ashland Schools” is a free public discussion planned for 4 to 5:30 Tuesday, Oct. 3, in the Gresham Room at Ashland Library, 410 Siskiyou Blvd. Part of the “Big Ideas” program series, it is presented by the American Association of University Women (AAUW) Ashland Branch and Jackson County Library Services.

The speakers are Eva Skuratowicz, Ashland School Board director, and Erika Bare, Assistant Superintendent, Ashland School District (ASD). They will discuss how the District is planning for a future with fewer students and how having fewer families with children in the community has far-reaching impacts that go well beyond our schools. The speakers look forward to learning from the audience as they discuss how this issue is shaping Ashland.

As Assistant Superintendent, Erika Bare, M.Ed., oversees special education, counseling and behavioral health, social emotional learning, and elementary programs in the city. She has worked in education for 20 years, first as a middle school special education teacher and, since 2012, as an Assistant Principal and Principal at Ashland High School. Bare recently published “Connecting Through Conversation: A Playbook for Talking with Students” with co-author and colleague Tiffany Burns.

Dr. Eva Skuratowicz has served on the Ashland School Board since 2009 and has two daughters who graduated from the Ashland public schools. Skuratowicz has a doctorate in sociology and directs the Southern Oregon University Research Center, where she leads multi-disciplinary teams of SOU faculty in conducting applied research for local nonprofit and governmental organizations. In addition, she is a one-to-one mentor for Rogue Valley Mentoring and a member of the Ashland Soroptimists.

Questions? Contact AAUW “Big Ideas” coordinator Marilyn Hawkins, 541-708-6697, mhawkins@prhawk.com; or Ellie Anderson, Ashland Library, 541- 774-6896, EAnderson@jcls.org.