Portland board ends JeffersonHighSchool dual assignment, adopts new boundaries for North/Northeast cluster

The Portland School Board on Jan. 13 voted to end Jefferson High SchoolSchooldual assignment and to establish new attendance boundaries intended to stabilize enrollment across four neighborhood high schools.

The board approved Resolution 7228, ending Jeffersondual assignment and designating Jefferson as a comprehensive high school beginning with the freshman class in 2027 by a voice vote reported as 7to0, with the student representative counted as voting yes.

The board then adopted Resolution 7229, which sets attendance boundaries that assign students from a list of elementary attendance areas (including Beach, Boise-Elliott, Humboldt, Chief Joseph, Martin Luther King Jr., Faubion, Sabin, Vernon and Woodlawn) to Jefferson, while assigning Irvington-area students to Grant and the Peninsula area to Roosevelt. The motion passed 6to1; the student representative voted unofficially no.

Why it mattered: Board members and staff said the change is intended to reverse long-term under-enrollment at Jefferson and ensure well-resourced neighborhood high schools across North and Northeast Portland. Assistant Superintendent Margaret Calvert framed the move as "a map to growing and stabilizing enrollment at Jefferson," and staff emphasized preserving dual-language assignment continuity for DLI students.

Key board questions and staff commitments: During several hours of public testimony and board discussion, directors pressed staff on implementation details: what the committed additional staffing would do, how special education services would be provided, and when student course portfolios and forecasting information would be available for families. Staff said the district will seed academic programming by funding up to two additional full‑time positions per year at Jefferson to expand course breadth and will produce a course/CTE road map with feedback cycles between September and December ahead of forecasting for the 2027 transition. On special education, staff said the intent is "a full continuum of special education services" to match neighboring schools and that the extra planning time creates a runway to align IEPs and services.

Concerns raised: Student representatives and board members flagged potential impacts on Roosevelt and Grant High Schools, including enrollment drops and program integrity. Board members and students asked for continued oversight, reporting and community engagement; one board member noted the resolution includes language requiring annual progress updates on Jefferson, Grant, McDaniel and Roosevelt.

What happens next: With the resolutions approved, staff will proceed with implementation planning, forecasting and community engagement work through the timeline presented (multiple checkpoints in spring/fall 2026 and a status report before the 2027 freshman cohort arrives). The board directed staff to monitor enrollment and program outcomes through at least 2030–31 and to report progress back to the board.

Votes at a glance: Resolution 7228 (end dual assignment/designate comprehensive) — adopted 7–0 (student rep yes); Resolution 7229 (attendance boundaries) — adopted 6–1 (student rep unofficially no).

The board moved on to additional items after the votes; implementation details and program design will be shared with families and the board via the districtengagement process.