By PETER WONG

Local reaction ranged from cautious to enthusiastic Tuesday on Gov. John Kitzhaber's budget proposals to boost state aid to public schools and Southern Oregon University, head off juvenile crime and help communities cope with population growth.

The most enthusiastic came from Alan Young, director of the Jackson County Juvenile Department, which stands to gain $1.4 million in state aid over the next two years to identify and deal with young offenders.

"The bottom line here is that if you want to have a big effect on reducing juvenile crime, you deal quickly with high-risk kids who have committed at least one offense or will commit one without intervention," Young said.

Counties will share $30 million Kitzhaber has proposed for prevention and detention of young offenders, but they have to show how their plans will work. Jackson County's plan, approved by the county commissioners, is undergoing a state review.

The money cannot be used for a new center, which voters defeated a $22.5 million bond issue for last month.

All the budget proposals by the Democratic chief executive, who was elected last month to a second term, must pass scrutiny by a Legislature with Republican majorities. But leaders have indicated agreement with Kitzhaber's broad priorities.

More cautionary notes were sounded by school superintendents in Medford and Ashland districts, which will share $4.55 billion Kitzhaber has proposed for state aid to the 199 districts -- about 40 percent of the two-year budget. The amount allows for 1.2 percent growth statewide in student enrollments during the 1999-2001 budget period, and 2 percent annual inflation.

"It is a good start, but it's not enough," said Ashland Superintendent John Daggett. "It's very difficult to do the kind of school reforms we've been asked to do by the state without worrying about cutting programs."

Daggett said Ashland's total revenues last year were $19.1 million, barely above its $18.8 million in 1992-93, although potential cuts were cushioned by a bond issue in 1996 and city renewal of an activities levy in 1997.

Kitzhaber also proposed $100 million in grants tied to improvements in student performance, $50 million for technology, and $20 million for districts with special barriers to student achievement.

A budget proposal by Senate President Brady Adams, R-Grants Pass, proposes $150 million more for schools for construction and technology improvements -- but through bonds that require voter approval similar to 1997.

"Based on what I know right now, for me to make intelligent comments about how either budget proposal will affect the Medford School District would be difficult," said Superintendent Steve Wisely.

Wisely said Medford stands to lose $3 million it got last year from the one-time construction bond unless it is renewed, but also would gain state aid because of growing enrollment.

Stephen Reno, Southern Oregon University's president, said Kitzhaber's budget proposes a first step toward making Oregon's public universities more of a market-driven system where dollars follow students rather than institutions.

"We welcome the governor's expression of commitment to build back Oregon's system of public higher education," Reno said. "We are undercapitalized, having made cuts during the first part of this decade. If we are expected to operate as businesses, responsive to the needs of the market, we need to be capitalized appropriately."

Kitzhaber included $15.3 million to continue a two-year freeze on resident undergraduate tuition, which at SOU jumped from $608 per term in 1990-91 to the current $1,015 per term in 1996-97.

Unlike last session, Kitzhaber did not propose an expensive package for road and other transportation improvements. But as part of a budget package for population growth management, he proposes to use gasoline taxes to create $50 million in bonds to ease traffic congestion on state highways.

Joe Strahl, Jackson County's road and park services director, said some of that money could improve White City streets such as Agate, Antelope and Kirtland roads to funnel traffic off Highway 62.