The Olympia School District (OSD) has not had a comprehensive boundary review in nearly 3 decades. Regular boundary reviews have the potential to balance uneven population growth, increase access to programming, and prevent opportunity hoarding.
This year, OSD paid $11,740 to BERK Consulting for 2 boundary scenarios.
Scenario 1 would decrease travel time.
BERK’s study includes a reliance on aging portable structures, as well as inflated student capacity at nearly every building.
| Permanent Structures | OSD Student Capacity* | Student Capacity in BERK Study |
|---|---|---|
| LP Brown | 360 | 435 |
| McKenny | 402 | 500 |
| Madison | 252 | 300 |
| Boston Harbour | 176 | 200 |
Complicating predictions further, data throughout the analysis assumes 100% of attendees live within their service area. The study does not account for OSD’s high percentage of students transferring within the district, not only to choice programs, but other neighborhood schools.
According to the OSD Office of Student Information, 8 neighborhood elementary schools had over 12% of students from intra-district transfers, and 24% of Jefferson Middle School’s population are intra-district transfers. Similarly, the unique Lincoln Options catchment has a guarantee of enrollment at Pioneer, but would be sent to Jefferson Middle School in Scenario 2.
Ultimately, this boundary study’s parameters and considerations were limited and neither scenario was recommended by BERK. It is likely that Superintendent Patrick Murphy will request school closures in the 2027-28 school year and use this study as an argument.