NEWS HOME

District begins redrawing High School boundaries

This fall, the Beaverton School District (BSD) began a process to redraw the District boundaries, beginning with high school attendance areas. The process began in October, and will end in March 2016.

The high school boundary springboard proposal was developed as a starting point for the Boundary Advisory Committee’s (BAC) consideration. It is not intended, or expected, to become the recommended high school attendance boundary map. Over the course of winter and spring of 2015-16, the BAC will develop its own attendance boundary map for recommendation to the Superintendent. Prior to that recommendation, the District will conduct a public hearing, tentatively scheduled for February, 2016. This map shows only the Sunset High area. Click on the map image to see a larger view of the full map, or visit the website.

The preliminary "springboard" proposal released by the district will affect many families with students at Sunset.

In May 2014, voters approved a $680 million bond measure for BSD. One of the purposes of the bond program was to increase school capacity to address overcrowding and future projected enrollment across the system. The district decided to build a new high school in the South Cooper Mountain area in the southern portion of the district. As a result, school attendance boundaries throughout the district need to be adjusted.

The boundary changes will take place at the start of the 2017-18 school year, but will not affect that year’s seniors. They will be allowed to remain at their existing high schools. Only freshmen, sophomores and juniors will change schools or start at the new high school in South Cooper Mountain. The district has about 7,800 students in grades 9-11, and many will stay in their existing schools.

According to Wendy Owen of the Oregonian, “Sunset High Gains: The boundary would shrink substantially in the south and gain a bit on the southwest side, adding students from Westview. Losses: Sunset would lose about 65 percent of its current area to Beaverton High, which is nearly everything south of Northwest Cornell Road except the area directly around Sunset High.

Following the completion of the high school process, the District will begin a similar process for the elementary level, targeted for completion in December 2016. The middle school boundary process will be delayed until closer to the new Cedar Mill area campus opening as a middle school in about 5 years.

Public input is encouraged throughout the process. BSD’s Community Involvement and Information phone number is 503-356-4434. To email your letter, please send cc's to the following addresses:

1.Boundary-Adjustment-Comments@beaverton.k12.or.us (Bare minimum - this gets it to the people who post public comments)

2. BSD Communications c/o maureen_wheeler@beaverton.k12.or.us - Please make sure to ask her to forward to the committee's Sunset community representatives Stuart Hall and Kevin O'Donnell. 

3. John Huelskamp, Sunset Principal - john_huelskamp@beaverton.k12.or.us (He is also on the committee!)

4. Eric Simpson - our School Board representative - eric@ericsimpsonforschools.com

Committee Meetings

There will be no public comment taken during the Committee meetings, although they are open to the public. All Committee meetings are at the BSD Administration Office, 16550 SW Merlo Rd., Beaverton.

• Thursday, November 12, 6 pm
• Thursday, December 3, 6 pm
• Thursday, December 17, 6 pm
• Thursday, February 4, 2016, 6 pm
• Thursday, March 3, 2016, 6 pm
• Thursday, March 17, 2016, 6 pm

Public Hearings

The Public Preview, on Thursday, January 21, 2016, 6 pm, Five Oaks Middle School Commons, 1600 NW 173rd Ave., Beaverton, will give parents and community members an opportunity to review and comment on the preliminary High School Boundary recommendations.

A formal hearing regarding the High School Boundary and transition recommendations will occur on Thursday, February 18, 2016, 6 pm, Five Oaks Commons. The Committee will review and adjust the recommendations in response to the input given at the hearing and email comments. The final decision will be made by the District Superintendent, Jeff Rose.

Previous article

NEWS HOME