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Superintendent Releases Shaping 4J Recommendations

Two schools would close, a new school would be built and several programs would move, in recommendations released by Superintendent George Russell on Friday, Feb. 8.

Russell will present his Shaping 4J's Future plan to the Eugene School Board at its Feb. 13 meeting (6 p.m. at the 4J Education Center, 200 N. Monroe St.). The recommendations are available as a PDF download. Highlights from the plan are also listed in a table below.

 

Highlights of Shaping 4J's Future Recommendations

SCHOOL CLOSURES AND CONSOLIDATIONS

  • Close Harris Elementary for the 2008-09 school year; change boundaries to send students to Edison and Parker elementaries.
  • Relocate Eastside Elementary to the Harris building for 2008-09. During 2008-09, modify Harris site so it can receive the Charlemagne French immersion program for 2009-10.
  • Move Meadowlark Elementary students to a new school at the Kinney Loop property in 2011-12 (if a capital bond is approved in 2010); leave Buena Vista Elementary as a stand-alone alternative school in the Meadowlark building.
  • Close Coburg Elementary in June 2011 and send students to a new school at the Kinney Loop property in 2011-12 and reassign middle school students from Cal Young to Monroe.

PROGRAM ALTERATIONS

Explore and implement program changes at Adams Elementary to recapture students and become a more viable neighborhood elementary school.

ALTERNATIVE SCHOOL RELOCATIONS

  • Close the Fox Hollow building in June 2009 and move the Charlemagne French immersion program to the Harris building in 2009-10.
  • Move the grade 1-8 Family School program to the Jefferson building for 2009-10, sharing the facility with the Arts & Technology Academy.

ENROLLMENT MANAGEMENT AND RESOURCE STRATEGIES

  • Differentiated resource allocation: Devote a higher staffing ratio to schools with more students on free and reduced lunch, in special education or ELL (English Language Learners).
  • Limit transfers for middle- and high schools: Each middle school could accept up to 5 percent of middle school students who reside within the boundaries of another high school region; each high school could accept up to 7.5 percent of the high school students who reside within the boundaries of another high school region. No school could accept more than the maximum of 600 students for middle schools or 1,500 students for high schools.

TRANSPORTATION

Provide transportation to alternative schools within high school regions.

 

HOW FAMILIES CAN GIVE INPUT

  • A public hearing on the recommendations is set for Wednesday, Feb. 20 at 6 p.m. at the Sheldon High School cafeteria, 2455 Willakenzie Road. That entire meeting will be devoted to public comment.
  • Schools directly affected by the recommendations will be invited to have representatives speak first to the board at the public hearing.
  • The school board will take LIMITED public comment at the Feb. 13 meeting. (That meeting starts at 6 p.m. and public comment will go no later than 8 p.m. Also, the board may choose not to take speakers in the order that they arrive or have submitted speaker cards.)
  • The public can e-mail the school board at board@4j.lane.edu, or e-mail the superintendent at russell_g@4j.lane.edu.
  • The public can send or deliver written letters to the board or superintendent at Shaping 4J's Future, Eugene School District 4J, 200 N. Monroe Street, Eugene, OR 97402. All correspondence received by the superintendent's office will be provided to all school board members.

PROCESS AND TIMELINE

  • The board is scheduled to decide on the recommendations on March 19, 2008. The board may choose to address some elements of the recommendations before or after that date.
  • The board will discuss the recommendations and/or take public comment on the recommendations at the following meetings: Feb. 13, Feb. 20 (public hearing), Feb. 27, March 5, March 12 (work session; no public comment), March 19.
  • The superintendent will present his recommendations Feb. 13. Then over the next month, the board will ask questions, listen to public feedback, and discuss the issues. The board may ultimately act on the recommendations (approving them or not) or they may make changes, request something different from the superintendent, or change the timelines.
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4J_SH4J_Supt_Rec_p2.pdf960.34 KB


Last updated on April 16, 2008 - 12:15