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Forest Grove SD 15 sees winter benchmark gains amid multi‑year enrollment decline that will cut next year’s funding
Summary
District leaders told the board that winter benchmark data show pockets of midyear improvement—notably kindergarten and some third‑grade cohorts—while continuing multi‑year enrollment declines are projected to reduce next year’s state funding by roughly $1.5 million.
Forest Grove School District 15 Superintendent Dr. West told the board on March 10 that the district is "neck deep in budget season" and faces a sustained decline in student enrollment that will reduce state revenue next year by approximately $1.5 million. The board was briefed on upcoming public engagement sessions ahead of a May budget presentation.
District assessment leaders presented winter benchmarks covering English and Spanish literacy and mathematics, using MClass, MAP, STAR/lectura and Flashlight 360. Assistant Superintendent Aruro Lomelius and elementary lead Magda Romero said the district saw midyear gains in several cohorts: district‑wide students at or above benchmark rose from 39% to 43% and students scoring above benchmark increased from 16% to 21% in one window, while Spanish literacy and some kindergarten cohorts showed even larger shifts.
Presenters emphasized that gains are uneven and that the largest group remains students classified as below or well below benchmark. Romero said the district’s immediate instructional focus is strengthening Tier 1 instruction, protecting intervention time and progress monitoring for the largest at‑risk groups. She highlighted a third‑grade cohort that rose from 15% meeting expectations to 48% over four years after continuous use of the Amplify curriculum and professional development tied to the science of reading.
District leaders connected those changes to recent curriculum adoptions and assessment practices. Dr. West and staff noted the value of more frequent local benchmarks (three times per year under recent state expectations) and praised Flashlight 360 for providing repeated speaking and writing practice for English learners. Staff said family‑facing reports and school–parent conferences aim to translate the data into classroom and home supports.
Board members asked about parent communication, the distribution of assessment letters, and whether secondary schools are consistently using the feedback tools. Staff said family‑friendly letters and teacher conferences are used, while noting secondary follow‑up requires additional confirmation. Board members also pressed on variability across buildings, the limits of state tests for capturing growth for English learners, and the ongoing need for differentiated professional learning for staff.
Dr. West cautioned that enrollment declines—driven over multiple years—will reduce state funding materially even with state “smoothing” policies that blunt immediate cuts. The district reported a shortfall of about 51 students for the month of March and forecasted roughly "a million half dollars" less next year due to combined multi‑year declines.
The board heard the data as part of regular monthly reporting; no formal action was taken on the assessment findings. The district plans engagement sessions with families and staff ahead of the public budget presentation in May.
