• New Sunset Principal Elisa Schorr
• New boundary between Bonny Slope and Findley elementary schools
• Proposed levy renewal added to the November 8 ballot
• Beaverton School District awarded funding for a new electric school bus

New Sunset Principal Elisa Schorr

Beaverton School District (BSD) Public Communications Officer Shellie Bailey-Shah says, “We have several new principals in the district. We are highlighting each one with a video weekly. I believe Elisa is scheduled to be highlighted in late October/early November.” 

Schorr is among 837 new hires who have accepted positions in the district since July 1. This includes 569 new teachers and licensed specialists, 230 new classified staff, and 38 new administrators. The new employees are either new to the district or to their position.

Schorr previously worked as Area Senior Director in the Portland Public School District. She was quoted on KATU here, “I’m really excited to be here with this amazing staff that I have the privilege to work with, and the fantastic students and families. I grew up in this neighborhood, I get to come back here, my mom taught forever at Beaverton, so it feels like a homecoming to me.”

New boundary between Bonny Slope and Findley elementary schools

Monday, October 10, 7 pm via Zoom (virtual public meeting)

Wednesday, October 12, 5:45-6:45 pm, (in person meeting at Findley ES, 4155 NW Saltzman Rd,)

BSD has begun a boundary adjustment project to balance the enrollment at both schools and alleviate the potential need for additional classrooms at Bonny Slope ES. The primary area that will be affected is the Thompson Woods neighborhood north of NW Thompson Road. The properties affected will continue to feed into Tumwater Middle School and Sunset High School. 

Students in the area under consideration for adjustment are currently bused to Bonny Slope ES since the school is more than one mile away from their homes. The new attendance boundary will become effective July 1, 2023 (School Year 2023-24),

In addition to the Zoom meeting, there will also be an opportunity to visit Findley Elementary School on October 12. Staff will be present to answer questions you may have about the school and the adjustment process. If you would like to submit comments or questions before the meeting, use this link. Comments will be accepted through October 14, 2022.

At both meetings, staff will describe the adjustment, the schedule, and answer your questions. Find meeting background materials, including the Staff Report and a suggested walking path, here. 

View submitted public comments here.

Caption The current Bonny Slope ES and Findley ES attendance boundaries are shown in color shading. The new attendance boundary is noted in red dashes. 

Proposed levy renewal added to the November 8 ballot

On November 8, 2022, voters will have the opportunity to decide whether to renew a five-year local option levy. If passed, the proposed levy renewal would fund approximately 286 teaching positions, maintain class sizes, and help prepare students for post-high school endeavors. The proposed levy renewal is projected to raise approximately $39-$43 million annually; over a five-year period, the proposed levy renewal would raise about $205 million.

If passed, the proposed levy renewal would continue the existing tax rate of $1.25 per $1,000 of assessed property value. 

If the proposed levy renewal does not pass, the levy rate would not be assessed. The District would not receive about $39 million to fund 286 teaching positions, maintain class sizes and help prepare students for post-high school endeavors, starting in the 2023-2024 school year.

The current local option levy expires on June 30, 2023. (The levy is among several local measures that will be discussed at the October 11 CPO 1 meeting. See CPO 1 News for information.)

Beaverton School District awarded funding for a new electric school bus

Beaverton School District is excited to announce that it’s been selected by Portland General Electric’s 2022 Electric School Bus Fund to receive funding to purchase an electric school bus, install charging infrastructure, and provide technical and training support to its drivers. School districts were chosen based on their commitments to meet the needs of underserved communities and incorporate the buses more broadly into student education around climate science.

Transportation is the single biggest source of greenhouse gas emissions in Oregon and a major source of other air pollutants. Electric school buses reduce greenhouse gas emissions by more than half compared to diesel school buses. They have zero tailpipe emissions and significantly reduce carbon monoxide emissions, nitrogen oxide emissions and other toxic compounds which have significant negative health impacts, especially asthma in children. Electric school buses are quiet, reducing noise pollution in neighborhoods; drivers are better able to communicate with students, electricity is less expensive than diesel, and prices are more stable over time.

“With this new e-bus, we will have a total of three electric school buses in the district,” says Craig Beaver, BSD’s Administrator for Transportation. “Our ultimate goal is to have 30 e-buses in our fleet within 3 years.”