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Board tables Tumalo community‑school assignment policy after push for in‑district preference
Summary
Board postponed adoption of an assignment policy for Tumalo’s move to include a sixth grade after members argued Redmond resident students should be prioritized over out‑of‑district transfers; staff were asked to revise language and return with data and options at the next meeting.
The Redmond School District board tabled a proposed policy for assigning students into the Tumalo community school’s incoming sixth grade after a lengthy debate over priority tiers for limited seats.
Staff presented two options for prioritizing students in a program that is shifting from two classrooms per grade to one: both options give early priority to students who live within the Tumalo attendance boundary (with sibling priority), long‑attending students, and transfers who have been in the school since earlier grades; later tiers would include other in‑district residents and, if slots remain, out‑of‑district transfers. The proposal prompted multiple board members to object to giving out‑of‑district students precedence over Redmond resident students funded by the district bond.
Board members asked staff to revise the policy to make the distinction between "in‑district" and "out‑of‑district" clearer, to prefer Redmond residents who have been attending the school over out‑of‑district transfers, and to consider setting a cap on the number of out‑of‑district seats. Staff provided enrollment numbers for current fifth graders (50 total; 48 within the Tumalo boundary, 2 transfers) and broader transfer counts across grades (15 intra‑district and 10 inter‑district transfers overall) to inform the discussion.
A motion to table the policy for revisions and additional data passed; the board asked staff to return with options that protect resident access while preserving Tumalo’s community character and to ensure public comment is available at the next meeting.
