SCOPE PLANS SHIFT AUSTRALIA PROJECT DROPPED BY DISTRICT.

Byline: Karen Maeshiro Staff Writer

PALMDALE - There's been another shift in Palmdale School District's plan to install a $26,000, 14-inch telescope in Australia that students here could operate through computers.

District officials have decided not to participate in the Mount Wilson Observatory telescope education program, saying it was taking too long, and are now exploring other options, including working with the Lawrence Hall of Science at the University of California at Berkeley.

``We want this project to go forward,'' said Willie Thomas, assistant superintendent for educational services.

The district had been working with Gil Clark, director of the Mount Wilson Observatory program, until a few months ago to build an observatory on farmland about 155 miles from Brisbane.

The telescope program was scheduled to run earlier this year, but was delayed four months because negotiations with property owners and architects took longer than expected.

``This opportunity came up, and the other one was getting out there in a time line we weren't comfortable with,'' Superintendent Nancy Smith said. ``It's been a couple of years, and we really want to put the telescope in place. It was nothing personal.''

Clark said he was informed of the district's decision in early May.

``It's a shame that's their perception because I had to get all the infrastructure in place so that it could move forward quickly,'' Clark said. ``It's project management. They are entitled to their opinions. I would not have wanted to work with them if they are uncomfortable with the way I was doing this.''

Clark is moving ahead with his project and is establishing a Telescopes In Education program in Australia, which is in partnership with the Queensland University of Technology.

Clark said the Palmdale district is welcome to participate in that program.

``I told them even though they were pulling out of it, my program is designed to help all students. They will still be welcome to use it,'' Clark said. ``Instead of having a telescope exclusively for them, they have to go on the schedule like everybody else.''

In May, the school district received a $40,000 state grant for the telescope project, which will be used on a new venture the district chooses, Smith said.

Meanwhile, the district's telescope is being used in the its planetarium the Cactus School campus, Thomas said.

``The telescope is here in our facility, being used in our planetarium. You don't let your equipment just sit. You've got to utilize it,'' Thomas said. ``We are checking it out and troubleshooting it.''

The district originally planned in 1999 to lease a telescope in Australia for about $3,000 a year, but decided to buy one instead, saying it was more affordable.