Centennial board approves transfer limits: 195 inbound slots, 30 outbound with lottery

District staff presented the board with proposed transfer guidelines for the 2026–27 school year and recommended the board allow up to 195 nonresident students to transfer into the district and authorize 30 interdistrict transfer releases out of the district. Staff said interdistrict releases would be granted automatically for students who are rising seniors and for students with siblings already enrolled in the requested district; other requests would be managed through a lottery if applications exceed the available slots, and families may submit hardship appeals per Oregon statute.

The board moved to adopt the recommendations and the motion was seconded and approved by voice vote. District staff explained the rationale for limits, citing the need to balance school capacity, staffing and district goals while complying with state transfer rules. The staff presentation noted past trends: interdistrict transfers into the district have been roughly 60 per year for several years and transfers out have fluctuated; last year the district approved releases for 15 seniors and granted 15 hardship appeals in the most recent year.

Board discussion included whether limiting non-hardship transfers would materially affect enrollment and whether the district should revisit language-immersion or dual-immersion strategy; staff cautioned that creating a full immersion program would require hiring bilingual teachers and is not directly funded by marginal transfer slots. The board approved the recommendation as presented.