Limits could restrict students when switching schools

The Corvallis School District plans to change the rules regulating its student transfer policy.

Superintendent Dawn Tarzian's proposal, announced at a school board meeting Monday night, would set new limits that could restrict the pattern of free movement of students between schools that has evolved since the policy was implemented in 1998.

Nearly a third of Corvallis' 6,747 public school students attend a school outside their neighborhood boundary. The district's transfer policy states a belief that if parents can choose which school students attend, their children will be more successful.

But the continued decline in the number of students attending Corvallis public schools, combined with open enrollment, is creating disparities in the education programs, Tarzian said.

Recently, Cheldelin Middle School and Crescent Valley High School have experienced a dramatic shift in enrollment, as students flock to the new Corvallis High and Linus Pauling Middle School.

Some Corvallis School Board members also say the policy is unfair. The district doesn't provide transportation for students who transfer. So only students whose parents have flexible work schedules and means of transportation can choose which school their children attend.

As superintendent, Tarzian could implement the rule changes without the board's consent. But Monday she said the community should be informed of and allowed to comment on open enrollment.

"I would really advise the board to move carefully," Tarzian said. "In this instance, changes are a highly held value."

At the conclusion of Monday's four-hour board meeting, members agreed to schedule one hour of testimony at a future meeting, the date to be announced, before voting on the changes Feb. 27.

Meanwhile, board members already have apparently reached a consensus on open enrollment changes. They went so far in their discussion at Monday's meeting that some board members questioned whether their minds could be changed.

After a straw poll indicated the board was leaning 5-1-1 in favor of implementing Tarzian's recommendations, the one school board member who opposed the changes conceded that it was clear that the board's will was to proceed.

Sara Gelser said the changes to open enrollment would be significant for many families. But after results of the polling were clear, Gelser said she would support the majority's decision to go forward with implementing the superintendent's recommendations.

The one board member who said he was undecided asked whether it was disingenuous to ask for feedback at this point. Blake Rodman said the district's open enrollment policy was one of the reasons he moved here, and he's used the policy to pick which school his children attend.

Rodman wants other parents to have the chance to speak up as well. But after the polling, Rodman said he didn't know if scheduling a hearing was the right thing to do.

"There's a danger of asking on a decision that's been decided," Rodman said.

Board member Kari Rieck, who along with the four other members favored implementing the superintendent's recommended changes, said based on experience the board would only hear from people who oppose the changes, and that could take two or three hours. Then after listening to people who didn't want the district to make changes, the board would vote for them anyway, she said.

Tarzian said she's sincere in her intent to hear from people. As a new superintendent, she also asked for the board's public acknowledgment that the changes she's proposing are driven by financial realities and based on what is best for all students.

Unequal enrollment at the middle and high schools has benefited the two schools with larger populations, while educators at Crescent Valley and Cheldelin say they've struggled to maintain class offerings. School budgets are based on enrollment, so the larger schools have more money.

While more parents have recently chosen to transfer Corvallis High and Linus Pauling, the trend was reversed five years ago, before the new schools were built.

Tarzian said if changes to rules regarding open enrollment are made now, it would balance enrollment between the schools. Tarzian has recommended setting limits on transfers if the difference in enrollment at the schools is greater than 7 percent of the total high school population.

By denying transfer requests to Corvallis High beginning next year, Tarzian said she believes enrollment at Crescent Valley would be closer to equal with Corvallis High within three years. As enrollment balances, the educational programs would also even out, with more course offerings to be added at Crescent Valley as the number of students increases. When enrollment falls within the 7 percent range, then transfers would again be allowed.

Rebecca Barrett covers public policy and education for the Gazette-Times. She can be reached at rebecca.barrett@lee.net or 758-9510.