Questions and answers about School District 4J School Closure, Consolidation and Replacement(En Español) | |||||||||||
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This alternative has not been considered lightly, but the superintendent, district staff and the School Board have found that we can no longer afford to maintain a comprehensive instructional program for all of our students in all of our schools. |
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Why closure, consolidation and replacement? | |||||||||||
A combination of declining enrollment, inadequate funding, the number of small schools in the district and the age of our buildings make it very difficult to provide a comprehensive instructional program for all of our students, and be fiscally efficient in our building use. By closing schools, we can put more students together to receive more services, such as art, music, physical education, technology, counseling or library. Closing schools also reduces costs for administration, utilities and maintenance.
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How will the decisions be made? | |||||||||||
A committee made up of parents, community members, students and school district staff will study issues around closure, such as student transportation, community impact, enrollment projections, program and facility considerations, and fiscal impact and savings. The committee will make recommendations to the school board, which will ultimately vote on school closures.
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What is the committee’s job? | |||||||||||
The committee’s task is, by Jan. 31, 2001, to identify three to five schools that could be closed in the fall of 2001. No schools would be closed this school year (2000-01) but could be closed by fall of 2001. The committee will recommend up to eight schools (including the three to five) that could be closed or consolidated over the next 10 years, if the district has funds to replace schools.
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Who will be on the committee? | |||||||||||
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How many schools are in 4J? | |||||||||||
Fifty-three school programs in 39 school buildings. That includes 33 elementary programs (23 neighborhood and 10 alternative) in 25 elementary buildings.
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What happens to schools that are closed? | |||||||||||
Typically, buildings are leased to community organizations, non-profit groups or public charter schools. However, the properties may be sold or used for other district needs.
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What about students whose school closes? | |||||||||||
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When school boundaries change, students can choose to go to the new neighborhood school (still be nearby) or to transfer to another neighborhood school, or apply to an alternative school.
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What schools have been closed in the past? | |||||||||||
The Eugene School District last closed a school in 1999, when Willard Elementary in the South Eugene region was shut down. Most students joined Adams Elementary, while some opted for other schools. Eastside Elementary, an alternative school that had been in the Willard building, moved to Parker Elementary. Before that, 4J closed six elementary schools in the early 1980s (Condon, Dunn, Laurel Hill, Lincoln, Silver Lea and Stella Magladry).
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Does school size matter? | |||||||||||
4J schools are staffed based on their enrollment. This makes sure that each school will have the same number of certified staff per student. The more students are in a school, the more staff that school has. "Larger" schools (those with about 400 students) can have full-time music and physical education specialists, librarians and technology teachers.
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How can the public give input? | |||||||||||
The committee includes four citizens at-large and eight parents. Also, the committee will create a process for public input; these opportunities for comment will be widely publicized in schools and the community. As always, citizens can contact members of the Eugene School Board to weigh in on education issues. Call 687-3309 for a list of board members and contact information, or go to www.4j.lane.edu. For TDD call 687-3447. Para información en Español llamar al 687-3145.
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Consolidation facts | |||||||||||
Schools run under capacity4J’s 25 elementary school buildings are only 70.7% full. On average, there is room for another 120 students per building (many vacant classrooms are in use by various district or community educational or family service programs).
What is a "big" school?Nationally, a "big" elementary might have more than 800 students, while a "small" elementary would be around 400. Some average elementary school enrollments:
Buildings are old, expensive
Small schools cost moreEach school building needs at least a part time administrator, a secretary, custodian and cooks. Each also needs utilities like water, heat and electricity, and regular maintenance and repair to keep the building safe. By closing schools and putting more students in each building, the district can cut redundant costs.
Decreased funding is keyState funding is still more than $500 per student lower than the 1993 level, when adjusted for inflation. That’s more than $10 million per year less today, out of $116 million in total revenue. Today, the district cannot afford to run small schools and still provide all students with quality educational opportunities. (INFO DATE: 09/20/2000) | |||||||||||
This year School District 4J will consider a very emotional and difficult issue: the possible closure or consolidation of some of our schools, beginning next fall.
4J maintains more than 40 buildings ranging in age from 32 to 77 years with an average age of 50. Because older buildings are more expensive to maintain, 4J needs additional funding each year to keep them safe and to protect the public’s investment. Fewer schools in operation means less money spent on utilities, maintenance and repair.
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200 North Monroe Street - Eugene, Oregon, 97402 Phone: 541-687-3123
Last updated: September 22, 2000
Copyright © 1999
Eugene School District 4J