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Progress on Middle School boundary changes
by Cami Villanueva, CMN student intern

The population in Washington County served by the Beaverton School District (BSD) has been growing steadily.  To accommodate new residents, BSD has built a new middle school in the Timberland area of Cedar Mill. The building has been serving as a “swing school,” providing space to students whose schools are being rebuilt. It will finally become a Middle School in 2021. With a new school comes new boundaries for all the district’s middle schools. Not too long ago BSD opened the new high school, Mountainside, and the high school boundaries had to change. Let’s just say, here we go again. 

Walkability is one of the issues being considered during this process. Non-transportation Zones (i.e. walk-to-school areas) are updated annually by Transportation Department staff. The walkable area depicted for the new Middle School (Timberland) is preliminary and subject to revision up to the opening of the school in SY 2021-22

In fall 2019, the Boundary Change Advisory Committee was formed, consisting of volunteer parents and community members. The Advisory Committee has held public meetings to create test maps of middle school boundaries that best fit district and student needs. The first meetings held in November were workshop projects for boundary drawing, and the following meetings have been for work to improve those original maps. A final test map will be recommended to Superintendent Grotting in March of this year. Superintendent Grotting will then provide his input on the boundaries and submit his own recommendation to the School Board. It is expected that the Board will make the final decision in May. However, the boundaries will not be put into effect until “Timberland” (the new school doesn’t have an official name yet) opens in 2021.

So far, there have been eight public Advisory Committee meetings. Since the meeting on January 16, the Advisory Committee cut, edited, and created boundaries to leave eight test maps for consideration. The Advisory Committee has been working hard to consider all families’ needs. Jennifer Alger, a Beaverton School District parent, says, “[The] decision to rule out Test Map Option 4 last night proved that we are in good hands. Option 4 only seemed to focus on availability of space and disregarded all other criteria,” acknowledging the challenge and responsibility of the Advisory Committee.

There are many variables that go into changing boundaries, such as classroom capacity, special programs within the school, student body diversity, walkability, and many more. Currently, Stoller Middle School is over its capacity, and because of new developments and projected future student enrollment for all middle schools, Stoller cannot continue to push its capacity. This is why “Timberland” is being added to the district. It’s important that BSD addresses this problem of overcrowded classrooms now. 

Unfortunately, it’s impossible to equally take all variables into consideration. That’s why it’s important for parents and community members to share their input on what they think is best for them and their children. The Advisory Committee needs the community’s help to make this difficult decision. BSD encourages all parents and community members to get involved. On the district website, there are test map images and their statistics, videos of previous public Advisory Committee meetings, and a place to submit questions or comments.

There will be two more public meetings in February before the Committee submits their recommended map to Superintendent Grotting:

February 13, 6:30-8:30 pm, Five Oaks Middle School, 1600 NW 173rd Ave.

February 24, 6:30-8:30 pm, Whitford Middle School, 7935 SW Scholls Ferry Rd.

Common Middle School Experience sessions

Thursday, February 6, 6:30-7:30 pm at every BSD Middle School

Please join us to learn more about the Beaverton School District’s efforts to create a common experience at all of our comprehensive middle schools. This effort includes middle school course offerings and schedules that are standardized across the District.

Learn more at: https://bit.ly/38IMOY3

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