Transparency is one of our shared values, and in the midst of the funding issue affecting Oregon School Districts, we want to make sure you saw some updates we presented to our Board last night. View this video or read on!
One report centered on enrollment trends, how new apartments affect enrollment projections, and information on MSD facilities. Another report focused on our Coherency Plan and the staffing added to support it. You can read the highlights below.
For more details on the budget process, background, and proposed reductions, visit our fiscal stability website.
Thank you for supporting our students!
Bret Champion
Superintendent
Enrollment & Class Size
As you’ve heard from us a few times now, our enrollment at the elementary level is declining due to moving sixth graders to middle school, families making other choices (particularly homeschooling), and a decrease in births. Not everyone will notice the decreased enrollment in their classrooms, especially at the middle and high school levels. Why does enrollment matter? For several reasons. We are funded on a per-student basis. Part of our strategy to balance the budget is to adjust staffing to align with the number of students we have. Because of this, our current projections are that the proposed cuts WILL NOT impact class sizes. We currently have class sizes that are historically low and are within the threshold agreed upon by our teachers’ union. Click here to view class size projections for the 24-25 school year. It also matters because, as we look to be responsible fiscal stewards and potentially consolidate schools, we need to look at the additional capacity we have at each building.
We’ve had a third-party demographer conduct a long-term study on our enrollment. If you’re interested in reading the long-term study, click here.
New Apartments in Medford & Enrollment
We’ve received a few questions about new apartments popping up in Medford and whether that will impact enrollment. According to the City of Medford Planning Department, although Medford is seeing a surge in new apartment construction, it's important to note that most of these units are tailored toward smaller households, with a limited number of larger units suitable for families. Additionally, the demographic landscape of our community is evolving, with a significant portion of new residents being retirees who typically do not have school-aged children.
Even in traditional single-family neighborhoods, there's been a noticeable shift. Middle-aged couples, often with children who have already graduated, are increasingly attracted to our area due to the rise in remote work opportunities. Many of these individuals have relocated here after selling their homes elsewhere, drawn by Medford's relative affordability, and therefore have no ties to our school systems.
View a report from the City of Medford on this topic here.
MSD Facilities & Spending
We’ve received a few questions about which buildings we own and which we lease. Here’s a list of our properties. Some important points:
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We renovated the old South Medford High School on Oakdale Ave. and turned it into a middle school based on community-led 2018-19 Facilities Optimization Committee input. At the time, our elementary schools were overcrowded, and moving sixth graders to middle school was an effort to create space, lower class sizes, and provide more opportunities for sixth graders. The committee wanted MSD to use all of its buildings before going to voters for additional funds. The work at Oakdale was phased over multiple years and self-financed by the MSD with a full faith and credit bond and an allocation of elementary and secondary school emergency relief (ESSER) funding to help offset the total cost.
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When construction began at Oakdale, district offices and the old Central Medford High School were located there. We entered into several leases to relocate Central and the district offices (the latter spread over several buildings).
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In 2023, we purchased the property on Center Dr. to create Innovation Academy. Innovation Academy is intended to fill the needs of students and families who desire something different from traditional high school education. The investment in the IA property was made with funding from our reserves. Our reserves remain healthy and are above the Board's set level of 5% of our total general fund balance.
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In 2021, we purchased the building on Bartlett Street using ESSER funds. It was originally used for online school, reaching its peak enrollment immediately after the pandemic. Medford Online Academy is now co-located with Innovation Academy at the Center Drive location. We use the building on Bartlett today for Special Education Administration and services. Our Medford Opportunity School is also at this location.
Coherency Plan & Staffing
In 2019, we convened a group of staff, families, and community members to help guide our work. We created this document, which is our strategic plan. We’ve received several questions about staffing increases over the last several years. This document outlines the staffing we added since 2019 and how their roles support the work.
