Attendance Zoning FAQs

When will the new boundaries go into effect?

• Fall of 2023

What is the Attendance Zoning Committee?

• The Attendance Zoning (AZ) Committee is a community made up of parents, guardians, staff, and community members. The first committee came together in 2019, but their work was cut short during the pandemic. They reconvened in 2021 and opened up to the public for additional members. Opportunities to join the committee were published on the district website, via email, social media, and local news. 
• The AZ Committee is operated by this charter.  

What are the AZ Committee's priorities?

The committee determined the following priorities, which guided their work:

• Capacity: reasonably equal among each middle school.
• Continuity of feeder patterns: Cohorts stay largely intact (as much as possible). 
• Equitable student populations and opportunities at each school.  
• Community voice throughout the process. 

Why is it so important to balance enrollment across our schools?

• Middle schools of similar sizes can offer a similar range of academic, electives and co-curricular programs. While Medford-area high schools don’t have exactly the same offerings, they are comparable in quality and scope.  

Are the scenarios presented to the public in April 2021 final?

• No. This is analysis that the public will provide feedback on. The committee will look at the feedback and make a recommendation to the Board. The Board will make the final decision in May.

Is the public voting on the scenarios?

• No. They will provide feedback on which scenario is their preferred scenario. While people will share their preferred scenario, it is not a vote, as these are only draft scenarios. 

When Oakdale Middle School opens, will students be able to continue attending their current schools?

• The AZ Committee will not make a decision on students being allowed to “grandfather” at their current campus.  A “grandfathering” decision will be made by the district after attendance zones are adopted for the middle schools.  The decision will be based on the demography numbers, and student capacities of the existing buildings, examined in tiers.  Students will be allowed to stay in their previously zoned school until that current school reaches 90% capacity of the building, using the following tiers:  
  • Tier 1:  Students who are in seventh grade in the 2022-2023 school year; if there is room after that, 
  • Tier 2:  Siblings of students attending the school in the 2022-2023 school year; if there is room after that,
  • Tier 3:  Students who are in sixth grade in the 2022-2023 school year. 

Will students on transfers need to fill out a new one?

• Yes.  Given the changing attendance zones, it will be critical for us to have a clear count of all who are requesting to attend the schools.

What are the student capacity sizes for each middle school?

• Hedrick           1,374 (functional capacity)      158,990 sq. ft.       52 Classrooms (includes additional P.E. classes)
• McLoughlin    1,274 (functional capacity)       161,072 sq. ft.        49 Classrooms
• Oakdale*          1,265 (functional capacity)       182,120 sq. ft.(*)       49 classrooms

There are a few things to know when discussing capacity at Hedrick, McLoughlin, and Oakdale Middle School. 

First, it’s important to understand the difference between potential and functional. Oakdale has the highest potential for capacity, Hedrick has the second highest potential for capacity and McLoughlin has the lowest potential for capacity. Based on the current scenarios created by the Attendance Zoning Committee, capacity is not a significant determining factor. We can accommodate all of the numbers proposed at all three sites and have room for future growth. 

Functional capacity is a better reflection of how schools currently or plan to utilize the space based on the school’s needs. Each middle school builds their programs based on student needs. This affects capacity beyond square footage and can increase or decrease capacity depending on how space is used.  

When you look at the numbers for each middle school above, the schools are rather comparable with regard to functional capacity, square footage and # of classrooms.

*The Oakdale square footage includes the auditorium and a third gym which will remain district level assets available to all schools as needed.

Will Ruch Outdoor Elementary School still have a middle school program? 

• Yes. Ruch Outdoor Community School will continue to be a K-8 school. 

Are any high school or elementary boundaries changing? 

• The committee is recommending a change. In addition to the recommended middle school boundary adjustments, the current recommendation adjusts the high school boundary line for Jackson, Roosevelt, and Oak Grove elementary schools: all Jackson attends South, all Roosevelt attends North, all Oak Grove attends South. This will keep student groups more intact throughout their K-12 experience.

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