Newberg SD board weighs restructure models, proposes slower timeline and a $1.20 levy to protect teachers
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Summary
District staff presented boundary-committee models showing potential savings of roughly $2.9M (24–25 FTE) from a restructure that would close Ewing Young and convert Edwards; the board heard a draft motion to receive recommendations and staff introduced a $1.20-per-$1,000 local option levy estimated to raise about $6.1M over five years to pay teachers and rebuild fund balance.
District leaders told the Newberg SD 29J board they favor slowing a proposed boundary-driven restructuring and are seeking a local levy to avoid emergency closures.
Dave (speaker 4), who led the boundary-committee briefing, said the district began 2024 with a $1.2 million deficit and had restored a $1.6 million surplus but now faces structural elementary class-size issues that cause sudden 'bubbles' of overcrowding. Spreadsheets shown to the board modeled the current staffing pattern and a restructuring alternative. To realize an estimated $2.9 million in savings the district would need to remove roughly 24–25 full-time equivalent positions.
Under the restructure model Dave outlined, Ewing Young would close and Edwards would become the district’s dual-language site; that model reduced the share of classrooms over 30 students from about 41% to roughly 16% but would cause "major disruption," including staff shuffling and loss of neighborhood-school access, he said.
Dave presented a draft motion asking the board to "receive the boundary committee's recommendations" and to "direct the superintendent to continue planning for a ... reconfiguration 2027." The motion text was read but the transcript contains no recorded roll-call vote on that motion.
As an alternative to immediate restructuring, staff proposed a local option levy. "The amount that we're proposing tonight ... it's gonna be a dollar 20 per thousand," Dave said, adding the district expects the levy to generate "right at $6,000,000, $6,100,000" over five years. He said 100% of levy funds would be placed in a separate fund, used exclusively for school-based staff (licensed teachers), subject to annual audits and oversight by a citizens budget committee.
Board members pressed staff on timing and contingency planning. If the levy is placed on the May ballot and passes, county tax-collection timing means revenue would become available in the following tax year; staff said they would plan parallel budgets for both levy and no-levy scenarios and could adopt a supplementary budget if necessary. Members also asked about the levy’s sunset and exit strategy; staff said the levy is not intended for expansion and described a path toward returning positions to the general fund as fund balance rebuilds.
Several board members urged more community engagement before firm action. One member warned that the restructure as initially drafted risked resegregating Edwards' student body and counseled against rushing the decision. Multiple board members said they wanted to reconvene the boundary committee or gather additional public input before making any binding choices.
Next steps: the board signaled support for additional planning time and scheduled Feb. 10 for more action on related budget/policy items; staff will continue outreach and refine models.