4J agenda: Board to vote on future of original North Eugene High
The Eugene School District 4J Board of Directors is expected to determine the future of North Eugene High School's original building Wednesday.
Currently, 4J is constructing the new North Eugene High School on the west end of the school property, where the Silver Lea building and old high school softball field were located.
Students are still attending classes as normal in the original building until construction is complete and the new building opens this fall.
The two main options that have been discussed come down to either tearing down the original building and putting in a green zone or leaving it up and repurposing the building.
The debate has been ongoing, with clear division from the public, many of whom don't want to see the old building go.
Kelly, immersion school parents weigh in
Parents of students at Kelly Middle School and the Yujin Gakuen Japanese Immersion School, which are housed together less than a mile from the high school, have been particularly vocal.
Previously, it had been suggested the original school building could be an easy solution to let Kelly and the immersion school spread out. But with rising costs of construction, it may not be so simple.
If the original building is repurposed, 4J estimates a cost of $30 million in deferred building maintenance, district standard upgrades and city system development charges. According to board documents, this initial estimate does not include any renovations or building modifications for a new program. This option would also leave NEHS with about half of the field area of other district high schools.
Demolishing the original school and replacing it with fields is estimated to cost $12 million. This option would add two grass soccer-sized fields, bringing the new NEHS field area in alignment with other district high schools. It would also make improvements to the site’s safe routes to school, according to board documents.
Kelly/YG is listed on the agenda as an item for information, with a decision on that separate issue scheduled for May 3.
The North Region Board Subcommittee met Friday to discuss the Kelly/YG issue with school staff, parents and students.
During the subcommittee meeting, staff members from both Kelly and YG expressed frustration over the uncertainty. YG staff said they don't want to continue taking up Kelly's space. Kelly staff said they are missing out on special programs because of a lack of square footage.
There were several alternatives discussed, including moving YG students to the Willard Swing School or to the 4J administrative building on Monroe.
Board chair Maya Rabasa said she hopes there will be more clarity on what direction to go in after the NEHS vote at Wednesday's meeting.
Also on the agenda
Other items on Wednesday's agenda include:
Discuss board security measures.
Hear information on the current legislative session.
Discuss possibly re-engaging Eugene Police Department in youth service efforts.
How to participate
The board is scheduled to meet at 7 p.m. Wednesday.
The board will meet in a closed executive session and work session beforehand at 5 p.m. and 5:45 p.m., respectively. The meetings will be held at the 4J district office, 200 N. Monroe St., with some board members attending virtually.
The meeting will also be streamed online at 4j-lane-edu.zoom.us/j/92933253616. The recorded meeting will also be uploaded to 4J's YouTube channel in the following days.
Miranda Cyr reports on education for The Register-Guard. You can contact her at mcyr@registerguard.com or find her on Twitter @mirandabcyr.
This article originally appeared on Register-Guard: 4J agenda: Board to vote on future of original North Eugene High
