District Restructuring Committee

Newberg Public Schools District Restructuring Committee meeting, held September 3, 2026 (the local meeting date indicated in the transcript; metadata lists September 4 UTC), focused on making the district financially sustainable with its current staffing and declining enrollment. The district reported prior budget reductions of $5.7 million, including 25 licensed and about 10 classified positions. Members discussed possible models including closing one or more elementary schools, closing a middle school, and moving sixth grade to elementary schools. The committee’s stated test for evaluating options is whether they increase students per grade level in buildings while supporting student learning, manageable class sizes, stability, and equitable access. No contracts, purchases, bids, or procurement awards were discussed, and no spending-related votes or motions were taken.

Participants raised questions about enrollment forecasts, school capacity, student services, boundary changes, and the future use of any buildings that might close, including potential repurposing. The district plans to bring detailed models, staffing and class-size estimates, and facility information to the next meeting, scheduled for September 17, with further committee feedback planned for October 1 and broader community input afterward. These were planning discussions; no school-closure or facility-use decision was made.