Proposed elementary school boundaries under the most recent Salem-Keizer School District proposal. (Courtesy/Salem-Keizer School District)
After months of discussion, the Salem-Keizer School District is nearing a final plan to shift the boundaries of dozens of local schools.
That plan would leave schools in Keizer and West Salem largely untouched and make minor changes to some south Salem schools. Some schools in northeast and central Salem face significant changes, including sending middle school graduates to different high schools.
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.
The current plan was developed by a task force of nearly 50 community members, principals, teachers and other district staff who modified an initial proposal the district released in October.
That group will hold a final meeting Dec. 11 to make changes before presenting the plan to the superintendent and school board. The board will vote on the changes in February.
Under the current plan, several schools are projected to have more students than they’re built to hold, including Miller Elementary School and Houck Middle School.
District spokeswoman Lillian Govus said the district has the option of adding more classrooms to those schools as part of planned construction if the task force doesn’t change those boundaries.
Here’s a breakdown of what would change under the current plan, and how it differs from the original proposal.
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
All students would go to Judson Middle School, rather than some attending Crossler Middle School. A proposed boundary change was removed from the plan.
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, and a rural area near Cottonwood Street and 63rd Ave would go to Auburn Elementary. Small areas currently in the Hayesville, Lamb and Yoshikai boundaries would be added to Chavez.
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, and lose some territory north of the intersection of Macleay Road and Cordon Road to Miller Elementary.
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 25 percent attending Whiteaker.
Boundaries would also extend to include the area east of North River Road, west of Cherry Ave NE and north of Sam Orcutt Way NE, which is currently in the Keizer Elementary area.
Scott Elementary School
All Scott students would go on to Waldo Middle School, then McKay High 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 55 percent of its graduates to North Salem and the rest 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, 40 percent of Waldo graduates would attend North Salem High School.
Proposed middle school boundaries under the most recent Salem-Keizer School District proposal. (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. A rural area near Cottonwood Street and 63rd Ave would be added to Auburn from the current Chavez Elementary area.
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 12th Street Southeast.
Candalaria Elementary School
The area west of Croisan Creek Road S, Roberta Ave S, Mockingbird Drive S and Spring St S would move to Salem Heights Elementary.
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. An area southwest of Wheatland Road and south of Ridgeview drive would move to Clear Lake from Forest Ridge.
Cummings Elementary School
The area east of River Road and west of Cherry Avenue south of Sam Orcutt Way NE moves to Cummings from Keizer Elementary. The area east of North River Road, west of Cherry Ave NE and south of Plymouth Drive NE moves to Cummings from Weddle Elementary.
Forest Ridge Elementary School
An area southwest of Wheatland Road and south of Ridgeview drive would move to Clear Lake from Forest Ridge.
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. An area north of Hayesville Drive NE and west of Lancaster Drive NE would move to Hammond from Hayesville.
Hayesville Elementary School
An area north of Hayesville Drive NE and west of Lancaster Drive NE would move to Hammond Elementary from Hayesville.
The Cascade View apartments would move to Chavez 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 NE moves to Forest Ridge. The area north of Chemawa Road along Portland Road NE moves to Forest Ridge.
The area east of River Road and west of Cherry Avenue south of Sam Orcutt Way NE moves to Cummings Elementary.
The area bounded by Interstate 5, Highway 99 and Chemawa Road Northeast moves to Forest Ridge Elementary.
Lamb Elementary School
A small area near Lancaster Drive Northeast would move to Yoshikai Elementary, and the area east of Cordon Road NE moves to Chavez Elementary.
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 12th Street Southeast, currently part of Bush Elementary. McKinley would also add the area south of Vista Ave SE, west of 12th St NE, north of Ratcliff Drive SE, west of Ratcliff Lane SE and east of Commercial St SE.
Miller Elementary School
The area north of the intersection if Macleay Road SE and Cordon Road SE would move to Miller from Eyre Elementary.
Morningside Elementary School
The area south of Vista Ave SE, west of 12th St SE, north of Ratcliff Drive SE, west of Ratcliff Lane SE and east of Commercial St SE would move to McKinley Elementary.
Myers Elementary School
The southeast part of the existing Myers boundary, near Highway 22, would move to Kalapuya Elementary.
Salem Heights Elementary School
The area west of Croisan Creek Road S, Roberta Ave S, Mockingbird Drive S and Spring St S would move to Salem Heights from Candalaria Elementary.
Swegle Elementary School
The existing boundary would extend to include the northeast part of East Lancaster Neighborhood Association. Swegle graduates would still go to McKay High School. Under the initial plan, they would have been sent to North Salem High School.
Yoshikai Elementary School
An area off Cooley Drive NE and 39th Ave NE, and properties off Santiam Pass Way NE would go to Chavez Elementary. Yoshikai would add the area south of Ward Drive NE off Fisher Road from Hayesville Elementary, and the area near Lancaster Drive NE and Early College High School 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. The Fir Villa Apartments and Lockhaven Hill Townhouses would move into the Claggett Creek boundary.
Crossler Middle School
Boundaries would be changed to reflect elementary school changes.
Judson Middle School
Boundaries would be changed to reflect elementary school changes. Students would still attend either South Salem or Sprague for high school.
Leslie Middle School
Boundaries would be changed to reflect elementary school changes.
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.
Proposed high school boundaries under the most recent Salem-Keizer School District proposal. (Courtesy/Salem-Keizer School District)
NO CHANGES
These schools would have the same boundaries, and graduates would attend the same middle and high schools they currently do.
Brush College Elementary School
Chapman Hill Elementary School
Englewood Elementary School
Grant Elementary School
Hallman Elementary School
Harritt Elementary School
Highland Elementary School
Lee Elementary School
Liberty Elementary School
Pringle Elementary School
A proposed change to send some Pringle students to Sprague High School was removed from the plan. All Pringle graduates would still go on to South Salem High School.
Richmond Elementary School
Schirle Elementary School
Weddle Elementary School
Wright Elementary School
Straub Middle School
Walker Middle School
Reporter Rachel Alexander: (503) 575-1241 or [email protected]
Rachel Alexander is Salem Reporter’s managing editor. She joined Salem Reporter when it was founded in 2018 and covers city news, education, nonprofits and a little bit of everything else. She’s been a journalist in Oregon and Washington for a decade. Outside of work, she’s a skater and board member with Salem’s Cherry City Roller Derby and can often be found with her nose buried in a book.
