Edwards Elementary staff tell Newberg SD board conversion would harm community trust and equity
Summary
Teachers from Edwards Elementary urged the Newberg SD 29J board to abandon plans to convert Edwards into a dual-language magnet, saying the change would damage community trust, reduce neighborhood access for South Newberg families and risk the survival of the dual-language model.
Teachers from Edwards Elementary urged the Newberg SD 29J board on Monday to stop plans to convert their school into a dual-language magnet, saying the proposal would harm neighborhood access and the program’s long-term sustainability.
"We support the district's goal for long term financial sustainability, but we have strong concerns regarding converting Edwards Elementary into a dual language DL magnet school," said Maya Barnes, a kindergarten teacher at Edwards, who presented a summary compiled by 63 staff members. Barnes said the change would "harm community trust, weaken the dual language program, and create serious equity and access problems for South Newberg families."
Barnes and other Edwards staff warned the board that the dual-language strand is not currently sustainable as a standalone school because enrollment of Spanish-speaking families has declined. They said smaller cohort sizes and ongoing attrition could force further restructuring or discontinuation of the program, and that expanding enrollment to preserve a standalone school would undermine the program’s purpose.
Ruth Schonhoff, who has taught at Edwards for more than two decades, said Edwards is the only neighborhood school in a low-income area of South Newberg and that many families rely on walking access. "Busing students out of the neighborhood would reduce attendance, increase barriers to family participation, and raise serious ethical concerns about equity," Schonhoff said.
Board members heard the testimony during the public forum and later discussed the boundary committee’s restructuring options, which include closing some schools and converting Edwards into a dual-language-only campus. Several board members said they were concerned about rushing a decision that could erode trust and suggested reconvening the boundary committee and gathering more community input and survey data from teachers and parents.
The public comments were presented as part of the board’s broader discussion of enrollment, class sizes and budget options. No formal board vote on Edwards’ status was recorded in the meeting transcript.
Next steps: board members asked staff to continue community outreach and indicated the boundary committee could reconvene as new information becomes available.
