Grant cluster K-8 enrollment process: ACCESS, Alameda, Beaumont & Sabin

After more than a year of analysis, Portland Public Schools is beginning a process to address both low enrollment and overcrowding in several Grant Cluster K-8 schools.

In particular, the school district is focusing on:

• Low enrollment in grades 6-8 at Sabin PK-8 School (where the ACCESS Program is located)
• Low neighborhood enrollment at Beaumont Middle School
• Overcrowding at Alameda Elementary School
• Space concerns at Sabin that limit growth at both Sabin and ACCESS

This year, there are just 54 students in grades 6-8 at Sabin, and it is a challenge to offer the range of courses they need, especially in light of ongoing resource constraints. Since the ACCESS Program is located in the Sabin building, changes to Sabin’s enrollment affect ACCESS. Beaumont, with only one feeder school, counts on transfers to have 455 students. (Middle schools generally need 550 students to offer a well-rounded program.) Alameda is very crowded with 780 students in grades K-5 — with more than 30 students in most classrooms and crowding at lunch and recess.

All of these issues relate to boundaries: The number of students in Sabin’s attendance area is small, Beaumont has only feeder school, and Alameda has a very large number of students in its attendance area. ACCESS draws students from across the district, but its program size and location are linked to available space at Sabin.

To investigate solutions to these challenges, a boundary advisory committee — including two parents from each of the schools (chosen by school principals and/or Site Councils), neighborhood association members and district personnel — met December 2nd and 15th and again on January 4th to analyze ways to balance enrollment across the schools.

A community-wide meeting took place at Beaumont Middle School on January 13th  to hear and discuss options that the committee developed. A Portland School Board committee will consider the options in mid-January and determine next steps. The goal is for the board to vote February 7 on adjusted boundaries and to implement any changes for Fall 2011. However, these are complex issues, and we may need more time to make a recommendation.

Under PPS policy, if there are changes to boundaries, students can stay at their current schools, and their younger siblings can attend those schools.

If you have questions about this process, please contact Amanda Whalen, the project manager who is leading this process, at awhalen@pps.net or 503.916.3131.