PPS seeks input on enrollment balancing scenarios

Excerpt from Community Forum at Jefferson High School November 13, 2012

For individual schools, it could mean boundary changes, grade reconfigurations, program changes and even consolidations or closures. The goal of any change is to balance enrollment – making sure each school has enough students and teachers to offer a strong educational program. 

In the past few months, hundreds of parents, students, school staff and community members have shared their hopes, their concerns and their ideas to improve offerings for all students in the cluster. At the same time, district staff have researched various school types, particularly K-8's and middle schools, and looked at enrollment patterns and projections.

The scenarios only include structural changes to Jefferson Cluster PK-8 schools, and not Jefferson High School - Middle College for Advanced Studies. Each scenario has pros and cons and PPS seeks community input to help shape staff recommendations, which may include a combination of the strongest elements from multiple scenarios. 

Community members may provide feedback in two ways:

• Speak or turn in a comment card at a community forum. The presentation is the same at both meetings. Interpretation will be provided.  Call 503-916-3205 to sign up for childcare.
  
  o December 4, 6-7:30 pm, Beach School Gymnasium, 1710 N. Humboldt St. (Presentation in Spanish with English translation)
  o December 5, 6-7:30 pm, Faubion School Cafeteria, 3039 NE Rosa Parks Way.
• Feedback forms are available in the office of every Jefferson cluster school, and at  www.pps.net, under “enrollment balancing”.

Staff will use feedback to refer several concrete options to Superintendent Carole Smith. This winter, the Superintendent will make a final recommendation to the school board, which will vote on the plan.

Implementation will begin in fall 2013. Board policy says that in the event of a boundary change, current students and younger siblings can stay at their current school. In the event of a closure, students are assigned to another school.

Llewellyn, Duniway boundary shifted
Enrollment balancing work in two Southeast Portland neighborhoods wrapped up Nov. 26 when the Portland School Board approved a boundary adjustment to balance enrollment between Llewellyn and Duniway elementary schools – moving the South-of-Tacoma area from Llewellyn to Duniway.

At Portland Public Schools, this is our goal: By the end of elementary, middle, and high school, every student by name will meet or exceed academic standards and will be fully prepared to make productive life decisions. For more information on Portland Public Schools, call 503-916-3304, e-mail us at pubinfo@pps.net, or visit www.pps.k12.or.us. Portland Public Schools is an equal opportunity educator and employer.