The Salem-Keizer School Board is seeking comments about a plan to change school boundaries that would affect thousands of students and families.
The new boundaries, together with ongoing school construction, are designed to address overcrowding based on population projections and would take effect next school year. Families can seek an exemption if the changes would send their child to a new school.
The bulk of the changes would impact schools that feed into North Salem, McKay and South Salem high schools.
Eyre and Four Corners elementary schools would move into the South Salem high school boundary, while Hoover Elementary would move from South to North.
Hallman and Washington elementary schools would move into the North Salem boundary from McKay.
The board will meet at 6 p.m. Tuesday at the district’s Support Services Center, 2575 Commercial Street S.E., to review the final plan and hear comments. A board vote on the plan is scheduled for a Feb. 12 meeting.
Comments can also be submitted in writing to the board secretary, Alice Struckmeier, at [email protected], or to any individual board member.
The district has an overview of the changes on its website. Proposed changes are listed below 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
All students would go to Judson Middle School, rather than some attending Crossler Middle School.
Eyre Elementary School
Students would continue to Houck Middle School, but then to South Salem High, rather than North Salem.
Four Corners Elementary School
Students would continue to Houck Middle School, but then to South Salem High, rather than North Salem.
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.
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.
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.
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, 35 percent of Waldo graduates would attend North Salem High School.
BOUNDARY ADJUSTMENTS ONLY
Auburn Elementary School
Bush Elementary School
Cesar Chavez Elementary School
Clear Lake Elementary School
Cummings Elementary School
Forest Ridge Elementary School
Gubser Elementary School
Hammond Elementary School
Hayesville Elementary School
Kalapuya Elementary School
Keizer Elementary School
Lamb Elementary School
McKinley Elementary School
Morningside Elementary School
Myers Elementary School
Swegle Elementary School
Yoshikai Elementary School
MIDDLE SCHOOLS
Claggett Creek Middle School
Crossler Middle School
Judson Middle School
Stephens Middle School
Whiteaker Middle School
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
Candalaria 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
Miller Elementary School
Pringle Elementary School
Richmond Elementary School
Salem Heights Elementary School
Schirle Elementary School
Weddle Elementary School
Wright Elementary School
Leslie Middle School
Straub Middle School
Walker Middle School
Reporter Rachel Alexander: (503) 575-1241 or [email protected]
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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.
