Author: James Stegall

At Oregon Community Alliance for Public Education (CAPE) public forum. According to an anonymous, social media survey, kids are leaving #SpringfieldOR because of class sizes, lack of emotional support, lack of challenge, and opportunity to attend another district.

However, Springfield’s A3 High School has 50% enrollment from other districts.

Other factors in declining enrollment:

External: Economic, Societal, Political, Big Picture
–falling birth rates, access to housing, aging population, lack of jobs, cost of living, family stressors

Internal: Policies, Procedures, Practices, Decisions, goals, top-down management, standardized testing, unengaging curriculum

2026 is perfect storm of external and internal factors building for 20 years of No Child Left Behind for all schools.

According to Oregon Department of Education, all school enrollment was rising until COVID, then saw decline overall, but Springfield is dropping ahead of curve.

Bend and LaPine are examples of growing populations of retirees with no increase in student enrollment.

https://www.oregoncape.org/