ASD Attendance Re-Zoning Proposal

For Families at Elementary Age Students v02.23.2023

Ashland School District

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Email: Jacqueline.Schad@ashland.k12.or.us
Website: ashland.k12.or.us
Location: 885 Siskiyou Boulevard, Ashland, OR, USA
Phone: (541) 482-2811
Facebook: facebook.com/ashlandpublicschools/

Superintendent Smore Newsletters: https://www.smore.com/

Quick Facts

Superintendent's Message
Changes to the Proposed Boundaries
Proposed Re-Zoning Map
Proposed Transition to New Attendance Zones
Additional Feedback Opportunity
Next Steps - Recommendation to the School Board February 27, Board vote March 13

Superintendent's Message on Attendance Zones

Ashland Families, Students and Community Members,

This newsletter provides a detailed update on the attendance re-zoning process and recommendations for Bellview, Helman, and Walker elementary schools.

If approved by the school board, the recommended boundary changes will go into effect for incoming kinder and other new students in Fall of 2023. New students with currently enrolled siblings will have the choice to attend in the new zone or request a zone transfer to stay in the same school with their sibling.

As most are aware, Ashland School District is at the last stages of the process of assessing school attendance zone boundaries for Bellview, Helman and Walker Elementary schools to adjust for changing school populations and assure equitable resources to all students.

Two factors have created a change in enrollment at Bellview, Helman, and Walker;

Changes in the local community and the housing crunch fueled by the Almeda fire and the COVID economy have shifted demographics. A new demographic study and boundary review are necessary to balance enrollment across Bellview, Helman, and Walker.

The Oregon legislature ended the Open Enrollment statute in the 2018-2019 school year. Walker had been the destination for students on open enrollment transfers from school districts outside Ashland. As students get older, they move to Ashland Middle School. While traditional transfers to Ashland are still allowed, the number of students transferring is much smaller.

In collaboration with members of the Ashland School District community, an enrollment rebalancing committee comprised of parents, guardians, staff, and community members assessed our school boundaries. The committee had regular touch points with the School Board and was responsible for analyzing community survey data including input from a community open house held on January 12th, 2023.

Community input was included in a final recommendation to the Superintendent for a decision by School Board vote on March 2023.

If the new boundaries are approved, attendance zone changes will go into effect for Fall of 2023 for incoming kindergarten and other new students that do not have older siblings enrolled. New kinder students with an older sibling may apply for a zone transfer to stay at the same school.

I am deeply grateful to the parents, guardians, community members and staff that worked throughout this year to analyze data and draft re-zoning scenarios. I am also exceptionally grateful for the feedback provided by community members. This feedback was critical in helping the committee shape the recommended scenario that will go before the School Board.

If you missed the open house or the survey, please email your feedback to Jacqueline Schad.

Thank you for being part of a community that supports schools and kids,

Samuel

Samuel Bogdanove

Superintendent

Ashland Public Schools

Pronouns: He, Him, His

Excellence ~ Equity ~ Connection ~ Together

Changes to the Proposed Boundaries

The updated boundaries that the enrollment balancing committee put forward as their final recommendation incorporates feedback from the open house and the survey. These changes include Helman maintaining portions of the original map on the west side of Siskiyou Blvd that we learned from feedback was an area that many families walked or biked to school.

Additionally, based on feedback from transportation, we also added the neighborhood that incorporates the Pompadour neighborhood into the new Walker zone.

The committee is grateful for the feedback, and the proposed boundaries are better as a result.

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Proposed Re-Zoning Map

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Proposed Transition to New Attendance Zones

Beginning in the 2023-2024 school year, all new students (including incoming kindergarten students) will attend the school according to the adjusted attendance boundaries.

All current K-5 students in the adjusted attendance boundaries can choose to remain at the school they currently attend or attend the school in alignment with the new attendance boundaries.

Incoming kindergarteners in the adjusted attendance boundaries with siblings currently attending can request a zone transfer to attend the same school as their sibling. Zone transfers are approved based on space available, and priority is given to those with siblings of continuing students.