Corvallis School District 509J
School Board Boundary Decision
The Corvallis School Board approved a change in school attendance boundaries at its
November 5, 2007 meeting. The primary issue with the former attendance boundaries was overcrowding at three district schools: Adams, Lincoln and Mountain View Elementary schools. The second important issue was to provide an adequate attendance area for each school to assure that there would be enough students in each boundary area to support a program at that neighborhood school in the future. The final key issue was shifting community demographics that place more families with elementary school aged children now and into the future in neighborhoods in the north and south ends of our community.
The School Board agreed with the Superintendent’s recommendation that all students currently attending a school be allowed to continue to attend through the highest grade at that school regardless of boundary changes made. This opportunity does not excuse students on transfers from adherence to the guidelines outlined in the district transfer policy. Boundary changes would therefore not impact existing students at their current schools. However, all students living in the reassigned boundary areas who wish to remain at their current schools must respond in writing to a notice from the district. This notice will be mailed by December 1, and the response must be received by the district no later than January 3, 2008. If the response is received within this timeframe, the request automatically will be approved.
New Boundary Effective: Fall 2008
Maps: New Elementary Boundary
New Middle and High School Boundary
Current Students:
To help implement this boundary change in a way that is least disruptive to current families, students already enrolled in their neighborhood school will be able to continue at their present school through the highest grade. Students living in attendance areas affected by the recently adopted boundary change will be asked whether they want to continue in their current school or begin attending the new school in 2008-09. To continue to attend the old neighborhood school, they must respond no later than January 3, 2008. If they choose to attend the new school, any future request to attend the old school will be treated as any other transfer request without special choice.
Siblings of students living in reassigned attendance areas, who would be in the same school at the same time, would be treated as if they live in the attendance boundary for 2008-09 and 2009-10. They would apply for a transfer and be automatically approved. Please indicate on the transfer request that they are eligible for this priority placement.
Future Students:
Students new to the Corvallis School District will be assigned to the new attendance boundary for neighborhood schools as shown on the above maps. Families, who wish their students to attend a school other than the assigned neighborhood school, must complete a Request for Transfer by January 19, 2007.
Transportation:
If an elementary student lives more than one mile from their neighborhood school, bus transportation is available. To make a smooth transition for families to the new boundary, Corvallis School District will provide transportation to either the old school or the new school for the first two years. Thereafter, parents choosing to stay at the old school will be responsible for their own transportation.
Jefferson Choice for Secondary Schools:
Students living in the Jefferson boundary north of Circle Blvd. and who attend Jefferson through completion of 5th grade may choose which middle and high school to attend. This is a one-time option and written notice must be given to the district no later than the first Thursday in January of the 5th grade year. After that point, students would be welcome at their assigned boundary school or eligible to request transfers on the same basis as other Corvallis students.
In January 2008, former Jefferson students in 6th through 10th grades and who meet the criteria, living within the Jefferson boundary north of Circle and having completed 5th grade at Jefferson while living in that attendance area, will have a one-time choice of secondary schools. Written notice must be given to the district no later than January 3, 2008. After that point, students would be welcome at their assigned boundary school or eligible to request transfers on the same basis as other Corvallis students.
Changes to District Transfer Regulations:
Some changes to the district transfer regulations are necessary to successfully implement boundary changes:
· Siblings of students who live within the Corvallis School District boundary will have priority in the lottery for placement where there are limited openings for transfers. This preference will continue indefinitely. The district’s transfer regulations had previously called for an end to sibling preference in 2009-10.
· Students who live in the attendance area boundary for a school have priority for attendance at that school. We will clarify what is required to demonstrate “residence” in the attendance area and define it with the requirement that the student live at the residence at least 50% of the time.
· Students who have moved from the attendance area of their current school have the right to choose to remain and complete the highest grade at that school providing that their new residence is still in the district. The student must reside in the attendance area for a minimum of one year in order to have the ability to continue at that school.
· The district might revoke a transfer if the number of school attendance area students grow to fill the school’s capacity. If a school’s capacity is exceeded and overcrowding is occurring and increasing, the district will need to revoke students attending on a transfer to make space for new boundary area students. This would be applied to transfers approved after November 1, 2007. The district will determine the need and will notify families as required. Out-of district students would be the first ones affected if the school exceeds capacity and there is not enough available space for attendance area students and Corvallis resident students attending the school on a transfer.