02/04/2013

Meeting Notice: Emergency Board Meeting re: Neighborhood Schools

Portland Public Schools is considering a proposal to change programming at both Arbor Lodge neighborhood schools: Ockley Green and Chief Joseph. The ALNA Board will meet this coming Wednesday, February 6th at 7:45pm at the Historic Kenton Firehouse to develop a response to these proposed changes.

In relation to these two schools, the school board is considering the following:Merging Chief Joseph K-5 and Ockley Green PK-8 into a single neighborhood PK-8 school and close the Ockley Green focus option program.

• Chief Joseph and Ockley Green would operate as a shared campus while a phase-out of the Ockley Green magnet program occurs. The distribution of grades between buildings during that transition period would be determined.

• Students attending the Ockley Green focus option program may remain in the merged PK-8, return to their neighborhood school, or apply to attend King PK-8.

• A process to determine leadership of the merged school would include staff and community input.

• The Chief Joseph building would ultimately close and all students would attend on the Ockley campus, which would undergo a re-naming in collaboration with the Native American community.