Superintendent Tony Smith told school board members this week that the district will consider a range of options, including relocating programs, changing grade configurations and repurposing buildings. No particular school or number of schools has been designated for closure, he said.

The review comes as Oregon’s second-largest school district faces a steep decline in student numbers. Enrollment fell from 41,374 in fall 2019 to 36,187 this fall, a loss of nearly 5,200 students, according to Robert McCracken, the district’s demographics and facility planning specialist. He projected enrollment could drop by another 3,000 to 7,000 students over the next decade.

Declining birthrates and fewer families moving into the area are driving the trend, McCracken told board members. High housing costs and a sluggish economy are among the pressures affecting migration. He also said Intel layoffs have reduced the number of people moving to Oregon and Washington County.

More students have chosen homeschooling and virtual charter schools since the COVID-19 pandemic, and those numbers remain above pre-pandemic levels. But McCracken said bringing some students back from homeschooling, virtual or private schools would not offset the broader demographic decline.

Elementary schools have felt the effects first. In 2019, 11 Beaverton elementary schools enrolled more than 625 students; now, four do. The number of elementary schools with 350 or fewer students has risen from six to 13. The district has also built large elementary schools designed to hold as many as 750 students.

Beaverton has about $168 million in reserves, which Smith said could help the district adjust staffing as enrollment shrinks. But he warned that reserves cannot indefinitely cover recurring expenses. The district faces a projected $42 million gap between funding and expenses in the 2027-28 school year, followed by a $46 million gap the year after.

“Important decisions must be made to rightsize the district in the near future,” Smith wrote to board members, citing the structural deficit and continued enrollment decline.

School closures have drawn strong opposition in Beaverton before. A district facilities committee raised the possibility of closing as many as four elementary schools in 2024, prompting community pushback and a pause in the proposals. After further review, the district recommended evaluating elementary schools with fewer than 350 students and considering the cost of major upgrades to older buildings. McKay K-5 closed last June after its teachers and staff supported moving students to a larger school.

At Tuesday’s board meeting, parent Rebekah Colasurdo urged district leaders to first consider boundary changes to better distribute students and treat closures as a last resort. She said academic outcomes, relationships and community ties should count alongside enrollment and building capacity when assessing a school.

Smith said the district plans to spend the coming year explaining the choices, gathering community feedback and making budget changes. Proposals for structural changes could follow in fall 2027, with the board expected to vote in December 2027 on changes that would take effect in fall 2028.

Smith said boundary changes alone cannot reverse the underlying population decline. The district, he told board members, cannot recover thousands of students through attendance-line adjustments without a broader change in where families live.