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Board sets slots for interdistrict transfers for 2025–26 school year after hearing enrollment trends
Summary
The board approved recommended slots for interdistrict transfer seats for the 2025–26 school year after reviewing enrollment trends, 10-year district declines, and transfer patterns; staff said the limits would be applied in a spring lottery if applications exceed slots and that hardship transfers remain available.
The Newberg School District board on Feb. 25 approved recommended slots for interdistrict transfer applications for the 2025–26 school year after district staff presented enrollment trends and suggested limits intended to balance incoming and outgoing transfer requests.
Leslie, district enrollment staff, presented a 10-year enrollment trend showing Newberg’s larger decline relative to surrounding districts and a snapshot of transfers during 2023–24 that included 1,311 (per-grade) departures in one summary referenced by staff; staff also reported 21 transfers into the district and 35 transfers out so far in the current year. District staff said Sherwood has been the largest destination for students leaving the district in the current year.
District staff recommended a balanced approach to slot limits that the board discussed: the recommendation included modest caps by level (examples discussed included releasing 10 high-school slots, five middle-school slots and five elementary slots, with comparable receiving caps discussed for incoming students). Staff said the proposal would be applied in a spring application window for the 2025–26 school year; if applications exceed slots, the district would run a lottery on the last application day. Staff reiterated that hardship transfers (active military family, childcare in another district, persistent documented harassment or similar factors) would still be granted outside of the lottery process.
Board members debated whether to increase elementary receiving slots to encourage younger students to enroll, and asked if transfers by staff (employees who live outside the district) count toward caps; staff confirmed employee children are counted as transfer requests. Board members also discussed whether the district should consider more granular, grade‑level or school‑level limits if class sizes in specific grades or buildings become constrained.
After discussion, a board member moved and the board approved the recommendation as presented for the 2025–26 school year. The motion passed unanimously; the board directed staff to administer the transfer application window in the spring and to return to the board if adjustments are needed.
