West Sylvan Enrollment and

Capacity November 5, 2014

Meeting objectives

• Work collaboratively to:– Respond to previous questions– Share historical and current enrollment

and options for change– Hear from community members: • Priorities and challenges • New ideas • Burning questions

– Agree on next steps

We ask that you

• Give others an opportunity to learn what you may already know

• Keep the focus on kids and learning• Accept that we will not resolve these

issues tonight

DRAFT 4

Responses to critical questions• Most answers distributed in a

document• Three critical questions regarding

current condition of East Sylvan:– Pest status– Air quality status– Site appraisal

West Sylvan enrollment history• Sylvan School (now East Sylvan) was built

as a K-8 school in 1933. West Sylvan was built in 1954.– The two campuses served as combined K-8

schools with K-2 at East and 3-8 at West.

• East Sylvan closed in 1982– K-2 moved to West Sylvan

• In 1983 West Sylvan converted to a middle school. – The K-5 portion moved to Bridlemile and

Chapman.

West Sylvan enrollment history• Middle school enrollment was less than 700

students through the 1980s. By 2000 enrollment had grown to more than 900 students.

• In 2003 East Sylvan reopened as a 6th grade center to relieve overcrowding at West Sylvan

• In 2004, a Westside Task Force recommended overcrowding at West Sylvan “should be addressed by restricting transfers and through the establishment of a split feeder pattern at Bridlemile”

West Sylvan enrollment history• The Bridemile guarantee began in 2004.

– Between 6-17 students transfer through this mechanism each year.

• In 2006, Skyline began conversion to a K-8 school. Middle grades students received a guarantee to transfer to West Sylvan

• Later that year, the Board directed staff to – “monitor enrollment at East and West Sylvan to close the

East Sylvan annex when it has been determined that the total enrollment of the school can be accommodated within the capacity of the West Sylvan building.”

• In 2011 the Skyline guarantee was revoked

Recent enrollment trends

• Lower enrollment from some neighborhoods, substantial growth from Chapman area

• Transfers make up 25% of enrollment– Proportion will diminish over time due to end

to transfers into neighborhood program and changes to Spanish Immersion lottery rules

• Current enrollment (962) is 19 students lower than expected. Forecast is for about 30 fewer students over next several years.

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DRAFT 9

Current challenge

• Parents and teachers have expressed deeply dissatisfied with the East Sylvan facility condition, and have noted inefficiencies and lost instructional time due to maintaining a split campus.

• Enrollment at or above 950 students is expected for the foreseeable future. Without changes, the problem will continue.

Guidelines for facility/enrollment change

• 2012 Long-range Facilities Plan–When enrollment exceeds or falls below

optimal student capacity or program size, Portland Public Schools will engage in an enrollment balancing process including but not limited to transfer limitation, attendance boundary changes and grade reconfiguration before implementing school consolidation and facility changes.

Guidelines for facility/enrollment change

• Board policy 4.10.045-P:– The Board acknowledges and values

neighborhood stability; however, it also recognizes the need to maintain flexibility to adjust neighborhood school boundaries in response to changes in the broader community

– The Superintendent or designee shall regularly monitor enrollment, program demand and demographic trends to anticipate the need for school boundary changes and consider other viable options

Guidelines for facility/enrollment change

• District-wide Boundary Review– Called for through Board resolution related

to Jefferson Cluster Enrollment Balancing–Will begin in Spring 2015 with a Values,

Growth and Equity Community Survey– In advance of this process, district will

consider major enrollment, program or facility changes only at schools with fewer classrooms than projected need for 2015-16

Enrollment balancing options• Transfer reductions

– Immediate, small impact, supports implementation of bigger changes

• Boundary changes– Long-term change, impacts multiple schools, slow transition

• Facility changes– Dependent on funds and school site constraints, minimal student

movement, no impact at other schools

• Program moves– Intensive impact on targeted populations, impacts multiple schools

• Grade reconfiguration– Intensive and rapid impact to multiple schools

• School /program opening or closure– Most intensive and rapid changes to multiple schools 13

Long-term options for West Sylvan• Transfer reductions– Already in place

• Boundary changes– Possible

• Facility changes– Possible

• Program moves– Possible

• Grade reconfiguration– Unlikely

• School/program open/closure– Unlikely 14

DRAFT 15

Other options

Given that PPS is not making long-term enrollment balancing decisions this year–What changes can be made that will

either allow all of grades 6-8 to attend West Sylvan next year or improve conditions on both campuses for students in attendance?

DRAFT 16

Community suggestions

• Staff reviewed numerous creative suggestions

• Some are feasible for short-term change

• Some are feasible, but represent long-term change

• Some are not feasible

West Sylvan Family Survey

• Survey of West Sylvan families will be developed by West Sylvan PTA and PPS

• Survey will be conducted by West Sylvan PTA

• Survey will gauge the community’s preference for viable options

• Survey results will be one of the main criteria used to develop recommended changes to Superintendent and potentially PPS Board

What’s next

• Family survey timeline• Following survey results, PPS will finalize

options review and make a recommendation

• Recommendation may require Superintendent and/or School Board approval

• Decision will be communicated through school and PTA by end of January—sooner if possible.

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