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Committee requests further analysis of middle-school Scenario 6, citing walkability and equity trade-offs
Summary
Committee members asked staff for additional iterations and datasets on middle-school Scenario 6 — including walk/bus assignment data, neighborhood zooms, and equity impacts — and agreed not to finalize maps until September.
Members of the Portland Public Schools boundary committee reviewed middle-school Scenario 6 and requested further analysis before finalizing recommendations.
McKay outlined feeder changes intended to reduce split feeders and balance utilization: making Talbot a true feeder to Lincoln, moving portions of attendance areas among King, Lincoln and Moore, and creating cleaner feeder lines for Longfellow. He said Scenario 6 would impact roughly 146 resident students across middle schools, with King seeing the largest net movement (about 89 residents). He also summarized changes to economically disadvantaged (ED) shares under the scenario: King would decline several points in ED share while Lincoln and Moore would increase modestly.
Committee members raised neighborhood and walkability concerns. Lauren and Bill noted that small sliver changes (Deering Highlands / Woodford) could split close neighbors between different middle schools and reduce walkability. Kate and others cautioned about shifting very small pockets of students (for example two or six students) that could isolate cohorts: "Those kids are gonna be socially isolated," Kate said, pressing staff to prioritize larger, cleaner cohort transfers where possible. Doctor Warren and district staff said bus routing and assignment data can be crosswalked to neighborhood data and committed to provide that analysis.
Members proposed alternative swaps to test trade-offs — for example, swapping Talbot to Moore while moving other feeders to King — and asked McKay to prepare a revised scenario and neighborhood-level maps. Chair proposed postponing a final decision on middle schools until September to allow staff to deliver the requested datasets and iterations, and to prepare materials for October community sessions.
Requested follow-ups include walkability/bus-assignment data by neighborhood, detailed ED share impacts for proposed swaps, neighborhood zoom maps (e.g., Woodford/Stevens boundary), and variations that aim to preserve cohorts while improving feeder balance. The committee intends to revisit final middle-school recommendations in September.
