Enrollment study: Newberg SD 29J lost hundreds of students; parents cite bullying, supports and leadership instability

Leslie Carsley, serving as superintendent liaison and volunteer, presented an enrollment study July 24–Sept. 24 showing steep declines in Newberg School District 29J enrollment.

Carsley said the district "lost 950 students, which is 18%" over the past decade and reported that 207 families (313 students) left during the 2023–24 school year. She told the board her team successfully contacted 122 families representing 167 students and that 21 families (30 students) had moved out of the Newberg area. Carsley estimated the district lost about $3,300,000 in average daily membership funding as a result of the departures.

The study recorded parents’ reasons for leaving. Carsley said families cited bullying and safety concerns, mental‑health and special‑needs supports, academic dissatisfaction and what some described as politically charged classroom topics. "Parents removed their children from Neuburg schools due to a combination of personal, social, political, and systemic issues," Carsley said, summarizing why many families pursued charter schools, neighboring districts or homeschooling.

Board members pressed for detail on whether the sample represented all leavers. Carsley said grade‑level breakdowns reflected only the families she reached and confirmed most students went to neighboring districts or charter schools rather than homeschooling. She reported 95 transfer requests and 41 incoming students for the current year so far and recommended the district tighten interdistrict‑transfer procedures and adopt a standardized exit interview system to continue collecting reasons families leave.

Directors highlighted bullying—particularly in middle school grades—as a driver of attrition and asked staff to investigate whether policy or administrative constraints limit how schools respond. The board agreed to seek additional data sources (including the YouthTruth survey) and to bring administrator presentations to future meetings so directors can better assess patterns and potential policy changes.

Next steps: Carsley recommended reviewing Oregon Department of Education rules on interdistrict transfers, amending board policy where needed and implementing regular follow‑up surveys. Board members asked that building administrators receive the study results and that the item return to a future meeting with proposed policy or procedural changes.