Response from Dr. Balderas

This is the response I recieved after RP PTO Board Member Liz Terzo and I met with Dr. Balderas the previous Friday, June 1, 2024. He okayed the sharing of this with our broader community!

TO: Jade Gonzales, President@RaleighParkPTO.org

FROM: Dr. Gustavo Balderas, Superintendent

Date: Mon, Jun 3, 2024 at 6:31 PM

Subject: Follow up email

Thank you for meeting to talk about Raleigh Park and school facility decision-making on Friday. This email is to follow up with a recap as requested. 

As we discussed, the district needs to begin a community conversation about the district's facilities and future decision making. Beaverton has schools built to serve an enrollment of more than 40,000 students, but birth rates are falling and enrollment is going down. BSD's enrollment has declined significantly since its peak in 2019, and the current long-range enrollment demographic forecast predicts student numbers will fall below 35,000 in less than a decade. This is a concern for the entire district, not only a specific area, and all school levels will be impacted over time. 

This community conversation will include discussing current school boundaries and potential adjustments; feeder patterns and whether they could be more aligned between school levels; our current option schools and programs and their locations; educational specifications; and school capacity and enrollment; all considering factors such as building condition, current and projected enrollment patterns, and school communities and neighborhoods. These conversations will take time and will need a strong and transparent community process.

As an early step, BSD staff will be discussing with the school board the district's facilities and future decision-making process. Part of this discussion includes options around the new Raleigh Hills rebuild, which will begin construction this fall and be completed in 2026. 

When we met, a question was asked regarding whether one option would be opening the new Raleigh Hills Elementary School building with the current attendance boundary and student makeup, and the answer is yes, that is a possibility, and is the default of what will happen if there is not a decision to make any changes such as consolidating schools or shifting attendance boundaries before the new school opens in fall 2026. 

Thank you again for your time and your caring for your school community. 

Best regards –

Gustavo