Old North Eugene High School to be demolished despite opposition from Kelly, YG families

The original North Eugene High School will be no more. After months of debate, the Eugene School District 4J Board of Directors voted to demolish the building.

During Wednesday night's board meeting, the board voted five to one in favor of demolishing the building, following a lengthy discussion. Board member Gordon Lafer was the sole no vote. Board member Laural O'Rourke was not present for the meeting.

Dozens of community members representing the Yujin Gakuen Japanese Immersion School were devastated by the news, as the decision means more uncertainty for the future of their school. Originally, there was talk of moving YG into the former NEHS building.

"Until we reach a place where their words and actions are coming together, it's gonna be hard to rebuild that trust," said YG fifth-grade teacher Kelly Stroh, who has been involved in the YG community for 27 years.

Construction on the new North Eugene High is scheduled to finish this month and the first class of students will move in this fall. It is being built on the west end of the school property, on the location of the old high school softball field and the Silver Lea building, which previously housed YG.

NEHS students are still attending classes in the original building.

The two main options for the old school involved either tearing it down and putting in a green zone or repurposing the building, potentially for use by YG, which has been temporarily housed in Kelly Middle School since 2020.

The decision was difficult, according to board members who expressed that they had each thought extensively about the issue.

If the original building had been repurposed, 4J estimated a cost of $34 million in deferred building maintenance, district standard upgrades and city system development charges. This option would also have left NEHS with about half of the field area of other district high schools.

This $34 million price tag is about 40% more than the original estimates due to inflation and rising construction costs.

Demolishing the building and replacing it with fields is estimated to cost $12 million.

Community commentary

About five speakers voiced their support for YG during public comments during Wednesday's meeting, asking the board to table the decision and gather more input from the community.

Although a survey was sent out and community input gathered at last week's North Region Board Subcommittee meeting, the commenters said they did not not feel they were being heard.

One YG and Kelly parent, Mario Reyes, said even when parents do speak up, they feel disregarded.

"Please don't contribute to the perception that you look for input from public data, and then decide to go do something different," Reyes said. "It feels like we are working against the board or against the administration while we're advocating for our kids."

The board members agreed that Kelly and YG's forced colocation is starting to become an equity issue.

Because of a lack of space, the schools have had to turn down special program opportunities. They also don't have a full library because of space issues.

"It's been really difficult attempting to come to terms with a combination of limited resources and inheriting decisions that were made in the past," said board member Michelle Hsu, who is on the North subcommittee. "Uncovering so many details of what was said in the past has been really eye-opening. Looking forward, the district needs to make both Kelly and YG whole. It is about equity, and it is about equity in this entire community."

What's the plan now?

Although the board discussed the possibility of tabling the discussion for two weeks, the board questioned what another two weeks would change.

It has been years of uncertainty for YG. Board member Alicia Hays said the board keeps "kicking the can down the road" and a decision must be made now.

"I feel like saying two weeks is like that horrible thing you hear as a child when a parent says 'maybe' and you're like, 'What do you mean?'" board chair Maya Rabasa said. "I think it's the most respectful thing to do to say it straight."

4J Superintendent Andy Dey said tabling the discussion could even cost the district more money. They currently owe money to the City of Eugene in System Development Charges, which they need to pay before moving in. He said delaying payment could cost the district more money, but he was unable to confirm when that extra cost would occur.

Now that moving into the old NEHS is off the table, that leaves the question of what will happen with Kelly and YG.

The board discussed some options for the schools.

In recent meetings for the North Region Board Subcommittee, there have been proposals to move YG to the Willard Swing School or to the 4J administrative building on Monroe.

Staff and parents emphasized the importance of YG, not only as a school that offers unique learning opportunities, but as a safe haven for minority students.

"We are uniquely diverse," Goodlett said. "It's a very safe space where they feel loved and accepted and diversity is appreciated."

A decision on the schools' fate has been scheduled for the May 3 regular board meeting.

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: Eugene 4J votes to demolish North Eugene High after months-long debate