Thousands of Salem-Keizer students would attend different schools under boundary change proposal

New high school boundaries proposed under a draft boundary adjustment plan. (Courtesy/Salem-Keizer School District)

Thousands of local students could be affected by attendance boundary changes proposed for more than half of Salem-Keizer schools.

The plan, which will take effect next year, would also shift the district’s “feeder system,” which determines the middle and high schools each elementary school sends its graduates to.

The new boundaries, together with ongoing school construction, are designed to address overcrowding based on population projections.

Classroom space is being added over the next six years at all six district high schools and many middle and elementary schools.

The goal of the boundary changes is to spread future students more evenly among those expanded schools.

That means moving some elementary schools among the North Salem, South Salem, McKay and Sprague high school systems to reduce overcrowding at McKay.

The adjustments project more students for North, South and Sprague by 2022 than they would see with existing boundaries, while McKay would have fewer.

With construction and the proposed boundary shifts, no district high school would be overenrolled, according to district population projections.

West Salem would have minor boundary adjustments for some elementary schools and no changes to its feeder system.

The Copper Creek neighborhood, a development east of Highway 99, would move from the McNary boundary area to McKay. Other than that adjustment, every Salem resident currently living in McNary’s feeder area would still attend that high school, though some elementary school boundaries would change.

Parents who don’t welcome the change can apply to keep students in their current school if a student is in good standing and has completed more than half of their education at that school.

That means fourth and fifth graders could apply to remain at the same elementary school, eighth graders at the same middle school, and juniors and seniors at the same high school, said Karma Krause, the district’s community engagement specialist for school construction.

It’s still early in the boundary change process, and the final school map could look very different when finalized next year.

A task force of 46 community members including parents, teachers and representatives from local nonprofits will spend the fall reviewing the changes and modifying them based on their own experience in the district and community feedback.

That input will include two open house meetings for community members. A final proposal will go to the school board in December and be voted on in May.

Here’s a breakdown of the changes by school.

FEEDER SYSTEM CHANGES

These schools would send graduates to a different middle or high school. Many of these schools would also see boundary adjustments.

Battle Creek Elementary School

A small area south of Robins Lane Southeast would move to Battle Creek from Pringle Elementary. All students would go to Judson Middle School, rather than some attending Crossler Middle School.

Cesar Chavez Elementary School

Chavez students would continue to split between Stephens and Waldo middle schools, but the areas feeding in to each middle school will be flipped. All Chavez students would eventually attend McKay High School. The northeast part of the East Lancaster neighborhood would move to Swegle Elementary.

Eyre Elementary School

Students would continue to Houck Middle School, but then to South Salem High, rather than North Salem. The school’s boundary would add some area currently within the Auburn and Four Corners elementary boundaries.

Four Corners Elementary School

Students would continue to Houck Middle School, but then to South Salem High, rather than North Salem.

A small area that’s currently part of Auburn Elementary would move to Four Corners, and the area east of Lancaster Drive and north of State Street would move to Eyre Elementary.

Hoover Elementary School

All students would continue to attend Parrish Middle School but will then continue on to North Salem High School. Currently, Hoover students end up at either McKay or South Salem.

Kennedy Elementary School

More Kennedy students would attend Whiteaker Middle School. Currently, only 5 percent of graduates to go Whiteaker; the rest go to Claggett Creek Middle School. That would change to 35 percent attending Whiteaker.

Boundaries would also extend to include some areas that are currently within Gubser Elementary and Keizer Elementary boundaries.

Pringle Elementary School

Students would continue attending Judson Middle School but would split between South Salem and Sprague at the high school level, with 70 percent now attending Sprague. A small area south of Robins Lane Southeast would move to Battle Creek Elementary.

Scott Elementary School

All Scott students would go on to Waldo Middle School. Previously, the school sent 10 percent of graduates to Stephens.

Sumpter Elementary School

All students would now attend Crossler Middle School, rather than being split between Crossler and Judson.

Swegle Elementary School

Swegle students would still attend Waldo Middle School, but then go on to North Salem High, rather than McKay. The existing boundary would extend to include the northeast part of East Lancaster Neighborhood Association.

Washington Elementary School

Students would still attend Waldo Middle School, but then go on to North Salem High, rather than McKay.

Houck Middle School

The school would split, sending half its graduates to North Salem and half to South Salem. Boundaries would change slightly to reflect changes at the elementary school level.

Parrish Middle School

Rather than being split between North Salem, South Salem and McKay, all Parrish students would go on to North Salem High.

Waldo Middle School

Rather than feeding only into McKay High School, 45 percent of Waldo graduates would attend North Salem High.

Proposed middle school boundaries under the draft adjustment plan. (Courtesy/Salem-Keizer School District)

BOUNDARY ADJUSTMENTS ONLY

Auburn Elementary School

A rectangular area between State Street and Cordon Road moves to Eyre Elementary, and a rectangular area east of Interstate 5 down to State Street moves to Four Corners Elementary.

Bush Elementary School

Two areas on the west edge of the existing boundary area would move to McKinley Elementary: Gaiety Hollow, and the area bounded by Rural Avenue Southeast and 12^th Street Southeast.

Clear Lake Elementary School

The Copper Creek neighborhood would move to Hammond Elementary and into the McKay feeder system. The rest of Clear Lake’s boundary area east of Highway 99 moves to Forest Ridge Elementary.

Forest Ridge Elementary School

Most of the existing Clear Lake Elementary territory east of Highway 99 would move to Forest Ridge. The area bounded by Interstate 5, Highway 99 and Chemawa Road Northeast moves to Forest Ridge from Keizer Elementary.

Gubser Elementary School

The area bounded by Lockhaven Drive Northeast, Verda Lane Northeast and Chemawa Road Northeast moves from Gubser to Kennedy Elementary.

Hammond Elementary School

The Copper Creek neighborhood would move to Hammond from Clear Lake Elementary.

Kalapuya Elementary School

The southeast part of the existing Myers Elementary boundary, near Highway 22, would move to Kalapuya.

Keizer Elementary School

A small triangular area in the Southeast Keizer Neighborhood Association will move to Kennedy Elementary.

The area bounded by Interstate 5, Highway 99 and Chemawa Road Northeast moves to Forest Ridge Elementary.

The area north of Chemawa Road Northeast moves to Clear Lake Elementary.

Lamb Elementary School

A small area near Lancaster Drive Northeast would move to Yoshikai Elementary.

Lee Elementary School

The boundary would extend to include the area south of Highway 22 and east of Interstate 5 that’s part of the Southeast Mill Creek Neighborhood Association.

McKinley Elementary School

The boundary would extend to include Gaiety Hollow and the area bounded by Rural Avenue Southeast and 12^th Street Southeast.

Miller Elementary School

The area south of Highway 22 and east of Interstate 5 would move to Lee Elementary.

Myers Elementary School

The southeast part of the existing Myers boundary, near Highway 22, would move to Kalapuya Elementary.

Yoshikai Elementary School

A small area near Lancaster Drive Northeast would move into the boundary from Lamb Elementary.

MIDDLE SCHOOLS

Claggett Creek Middle School

The area east of Interstate 5 and north of Keizer Road Northeast in the existing boundary would move to Whiteaker Middle School.

Crossler Middle School

The boundary would include small changes to accommodate elementary school boundary changes.

Judson Middle School

The boundaries would shift slightly to align with elementary school boundary changes. Students would still attend either South Salem or Sprague for high school, but the percentage going to Sprague would increase to 70 percent.

Stephens Middle School

The Copper Creek neighborhood would be added to Stephens. Other minor changes would be made to reflect the Cesar Chavez Elementary changes.

Whiteaker Middle School

The area east of Interstate 5 and north of Keizer Road Northeast currently in Claggett Creek territory would move to Whiteaker. The Copper Creek neighborhood moves to Stephens Middle School.