District Restructuring Committee Meeting Summary
Overview:
Committee Schedule
- Meeting 1 (Sept 3): Define the Problem (Completed)
- Meeting 2 (Sept 17): Analyze the Options
- Meeting 3 (Oct 1): Finalize Feedback for the Board
Meeting 2 - September 17, 2026: Analyze the Options
Meeting 2 - September 17, 2026: Analyze the Options
Overview
Superintendent Dave Parker facilitated the second committee meeting, focusing on evaluating eight specific structural models to address declining enrollment and staffing inefficiencies. Following last year's $5.7 million budget cuts, current elementary staffing leaves four of six buildings with two or fewer teachers per grade level. The meeting structured small-group table work to analyze each proposed model's capacity, financial impact, and instructional trade-offs before gathering district-wide feedback.
Key Takeaways & Core Issues
- Instructional Focus vs. Structural Efficiency: While the committee's immediate task is solving structural and enrollment challenges, Superintendent Parker highlighted research by John Hattie on Teacher Efficacy and Professional Learning Communities (PLCs). Effective grade-level teacher teams have a high effect size (1.34) on student achievement. Consolidating cohorts and reducing single- or two-teacher grade levels enables functional teacher teams to collaborate on instruction.
- Financial Alignment: The district needs to achieve significant recurring savings to recover key resources, such as restoring lost instructional days (estimating roughly $1 million per four school days). Models were evaluated using uniform, baseline cost estimates across all scenarios.
- Eight Proposed Models Evaluated
Committee Objective & Evaluation Framework
Table groups engaged in an hour-long deep dive into individual models to record specific pros, cons, and outstanding questions for district leadership. Each model was assessed against the core evaluation criteria:
- Does it solve the "math problem" by increasing students per grade level and balancing class sizes near 24–25 students per section?
- Does it improve instructional quality and teacher team collaboration (PLCs)?
- Is it logistically viable regarding building capacities, transportation costs, and long-term stability?
Key Findings & Preliminary Table Feedback
- Single-Closure Options (Models A & F): Minimal disruption to boundaries and communities, but largely fail to solve the core "math problem," falling short on long-term financial sustainability or teacher PLC efficacy.
- Elementary Grade Banding (Model B): Creates large grade-level teacher teams and consistent class sizes, but yields minimal cost savings and adds an additional school transition for young students.
- Two-Elementary Closures (Models C & D): Achieve target class size averages and generate around $1M+ in operational savings, but require boundary shifts for roughly 500+ students and create tight capacity constraints in remaining schools.
- K–4 / 5–6 / 7–8 Reorganizations (Models E & H): Keep cohort groups together for eight years and align with regional models, but create significant district-wide disruption and leave varying impact on smaller schools like Dundee.
- Multi-Level Closures (Model G): Yields maximum financial savings and eliminates low-density grade levels, but results in severe middle school capacity overages (e.g., Chehalem Valley exceeding capacity by ~278 students) without secondary facility adjustments.
Next Steps & Feedback Timeline
- Oct 1 (Meeting 3): Committee members will rotate through all eight models to review synthesized feedback, refine model details, and submit formal individual evaluation forms via QR code/online platform.
- Oct 13: Presentation of committee feedback and model evaluations to the School Board.
- Mid-October – Early November: Broad community feedback sessions and public presentations.
- Nov 17: Final Board decision on district restructuring in time for December budget planning.
Meeting Documents:
Meeting 1 - September 3, 2026: Define the Problem
Meeting 1 - September 3, 2026: Define the Problem
Overview
Key Takeaways & Core Issues
- The "Math Problem": Declining enrollment across the district leaves four of the six elementary schools operating with two or fewer teachers per grade level. This dynamic forces schools into unfavorable trade-offs: unbalanced class ratios (15:1 vs. 30:1) or blended multi-grade classrooms.
- Enrollment Trends: District enrollment dropped from over 4,000 students five years ago to roughly 3,600. Large graduating high school classes are continually replaced by smaller incoming kindergarten classes, ensuring net-negative enrollment growth over the next 3–4 years.
- Key Priority: The district's goal is to maximize efficiency at current staffing levels—targeting balanced class sizes closer to 24 students per section while providing long-term stability for students, staff, and the community.
Committee Objective & Evaluation Test
The primary purpose of the restructuring options is to raise the density of students per grade level in each building. Increased cohort sizes allow for more dedicated classroom sections per grade level, reducing the need for split/blended classes and balancing class size averages across all schools.
Restructuring Models Under Consideration
- Closing one or more elementary schools
- Closing a middle school
- Moving 6th grade into elementary schools and closing a middle school
- Adopting a K–4, 5–6, 7–8 grade configuration
Project Timeline
- September 3 (Meeting 1): Problem definition, framing, and committee introduction.
- September 17 (Meeting 2): Presentation of detailed financial, staffing, and sectioning data for each proposed restructuring model.
- October 1 (Meeting 3): Finalizing committee feedback on the proposed models.
- October 13: First reading of committee recommendations to the School Board.
- October – November: Five-week public feedback window (community town halls, media releases, staff presentations).
- November Board Meeting: Formal School Board vote/action on the restructuring plan.
- Winter – Summer: 7–8 month implementation and rollout phase ahead of the next school year.
Meeting Documents
Community Communications
September 3, 2026 via ParentSquare
Dear Newberg-Dundee Families,
Tonight, Thursday, September 3, the District Restructuring Committee holds its first meeting from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. in the West Commons at Newberg High School. The meeting will be livestreamed, and you are welcome to watch from home.
Click here to view the Livestream
Why this committee exists
Last spring's $5.7 million budget reduction lowered staffing across the district. Elementary class sizes moved from a target of 20.5 students per teacher to 24.5. In four of our six elementary schools, we have two or fewer classes per grade level, which makes those class sizes very hard to balance. For example, a grade level of 30 students gives us one class that is too large or two classes of 15 that are too small, and neither is a responsible use of our resources.
This committee helps the district study how to manage responsibly at our current staffing level, so class sizes are manageable, resources are used wisely, and students are well served. The district will bring options for how our schools could be organized, along with the data behind them. The committee, made up of four parents and four staff members from each school, will study each option against a set of guiding criteria and share its feedback and ideas. The committee may also suggest new ideas that grow out of the options studied.
The School Board will receive the committee's feedback on October 13, hold community feedback sessions in October and November, and consider the options for action at its November 17 meeting. The committee does not make decisions. Between now and November 17, every step is study, feedback, and listening. Action comes only at the end, in public.
Committee meeting schedule
All meetings run from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. in the West Commons at Newberg High School and will be livestreamed.
- Thursday, September 3: Define the problem
- Thursday, September 17: Analyze the options
- Thursday, October 1: Finalize feedback for the Board
About the livestream
Some of tonight's meeting is small-group table work. During those portions, the video will continue, but the audio will be muted so committee members can talk freely at their tables. Audio will return for the whole-group portions. The meeting is being recorded, and the recording will be posted on our YouTube Channel for anyone who cannot watch live.
Share your feedback
We want to hear from you, whether you are watching live or later. Use the link below or scan the QR code to share your questions, concerns, and ideas. Families' feedback will be incorporated into the committee's work.
Feedback form: Restructuring Committee Audience Feedback Form
Thank you for staying engaged in this process. Our schools and programs are strong, and this work is about keeping them strong for the long run.
Sincerely,
Newberg-Dundee Public Schools