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3 Rivers outlines outreach and program changes to regain students after COVID-era decline
Summary
District officials said enrollment remains about 300 students below pre-COVID levels and discussed strategies — expanded middle-school electives, CTE and AP offerings, outreach to homeschool families, and a possible district-run charter — aimed at increasing enrollment and stabilizing the budget.
District leaders told the budget committee that steady enrollment is central to financial stability and outlined steps to make 3 Rivers a more attractive choice for local families.
Superintendent Dave Valenzuela said the district has not returned to pre-pandemic enrollment and believes the district is roughly 300 students below those levels. He told the committee that families now choose from many pathways — online programs, charters, homeschooling and co-ops — and that the district needs to adapt its program offerings and outreach to serve students where they are.
Valenzuela and accounting manager Megan Beck said the district will focus on kindergarten-through-eighth-grade program enhancements (middle-school electives, early literacy supports), expand career and technical education and college-credit opportunities at the high school level, and consider flexible program models including a district-run charter school to capture students who otherwise enroll in external online providers. "We are now of the mindset where we need to change our school set up to fit the various needs of our community," Valenzuela said.
Staff noted the district maintains a registry of about 350 registered homeschool students in Josephine County and that some additional families remain unregistered; services such as special education supports are available to registered homeschool families. Committee members suggested proactive outreach — targeted invitations, program advertising or a dedicated outreach fund — and staff said they will work with the district communications coordinator to explore low-cost outreach options and report back.
Board members emphasized that retaining students reduces the need for deeper cuts to programs and staff. Staff cautioned that expansion efforts will need to be aligned with available resources and revenue, and could initially rely on reallocation of existing resources rather than major new outlays.
Next steps: staff will develop outreach options and cost estimates and return with more detail to the committee prior to board action.
