New Bend school boundary maps online
Bend-La Pine Schools Superintendent Ron Wilkinson accepted on Monday, with two minor modifications, recommendations for new school boundaries presented to him by the 2014-15 School Boundary Review Committee.
“Thanks to the work of this committee and the input of our community, we have a solution that balances enrollment at our schools and draws new boundary areas for the two schools that are currently under construction,” Wilkinson said.
“Today, more than three-quarters of our Bend-area schools are near or over capacity – balancing enrollment helps to ensure that our students and staff have the learning environments that they deserve.”
The new boundary maps are available at http://www.bend.k12.or.us/education/components/scrapbook/default.php?sectiondetailid=4916
The new 2015-16 school boundaries reflect the proposal brought forward to the community during the last round of open houses, but with two tweaks that came from community feedback and an online survey.
The first includes pointing students who live in Mid Town in the area between the Deschutes River, Greenwood, Olney, and NE 12th streets to Bend Senior High School, instead of Mountain View High School.
“This is an area that is 100 percent within a walking zone to Bend Senior High School and an area that has been subject to adjusting boundaries in recent years,” Wilkinson said. “History suggests that it is best to keep this area at Bend Senior High School”.
Wilkinson also concluded that students living in the Old Bend downtown area between the Deschutes River, the Parkway and Arizona and Greenwood avenues should continue to attend W.E. Miller Elementary and Cascade Middle schools.
The committee’s proposal would have re-directed these students to attend Pine Ridge Elementary School, while keeping them at Cascade Middle School.
“The challenge of driving around the Mill District area and maneuvering the Reed Market Road – Brookswood Street roundabout at peak morning traffic time has been expressed as a major concern by residents of this area,” Wilkinson said. “Although the move would improve short-term enrollment balance, I believe we will be better served in the long term if it stays in the W.E. Miller Elementary School attendance area at this time.”
Wilkinson accepted the committee’s recommendation to allow next year’s fifth, eighth, 11th and 12th-grade students who wish to remain at their current school, and provide their own transportation, for the 2015-16 school year to do so. Parents who wish to ‘grandfather’ will receive communication asking them to notify their current school of their decision.
Wilkinson thanked the committee members and the community for working together to find an eloquent solution to balance enrollment and relieve over-crowding at three of the district’s Bend-area middle schools and 11 elementary schools.
“At Cascade Middle School alone, we are already 100 students over design capacity,” he said. “Balancing middle school enrollment not only creates more ideal learning environments today, but helps as we plan for the growth in these grades in the very near future.”
Wilkinson added that the opening of the new elementary school in south-central Bend will significantly help relieve pressure at Bear Creek, Buckingham, Pine Ridge and R.E. Jewell elementary schools while better balancing enrollment at the district’s seven other Bend area elementary schools.
“I feel that our community really came together during a process that can be emotional and difficult. We are very fortunate that our community is so supportive of our schools and works hard to do what is best for our children,” he said.
The 30-member Boundary Review Committee held nine public meetings over a four-month period and considered more than 600 public comments.
