Whereas;
In Ordinance 2454 of the Lake Oswego Comprehensive Plan, The Lake Grove Village Center Plan calls for an Elementary school in the vision statement. “Public Uses, including an Elementary school…are located within the Village Center and serve West End Residents…”. Ordinance 2454 is an ordinance of the Lake Oswego City Council amending the Lake Oswego Comprehensive Plan Map and Text to include the Lake Grove Village Center Plan, and adopting findings in LU 06-0025-1666. Microsoft Word – 2454 – LakeGroveVillagePlan-CompPlanAmend.doc (oswego.or.us)
Whereas;
The Lake Oswego School District refers to elementary schools as “Neighborhood Schools” in the 2020 Long Range Facility Plan. Moving the school out and away from the majority of the population it serves to Uplands will no longer qualify as a neighborhood school. Lake Grove currently scores as the most walkable school in the entire district on the EPA Smart Location Tool. The decision to move to Uplands is in direct conflict with: The Safe Routes to School Program, The Oregon School Citing Handbook, the EPA Smart Location Tool, The American Academy of Pediatrics Policy Statement on Child Pedestrian Safety June 20, 2023. The route from the Lake Grove Village Center to Uplands School is a 250 ft elevation gain and has geographic elements that provides no safe neighborhood route.
Smart Location Calculator (gsa.gov)
DRAFTHandbook_7_20.indd (oregon.gov)
Child Pedestrian Safety | Pediatrics | American Academy of Pediatrics (aap.org)
Whereas;
Lake Oswego has never closed an at-capacity, in-demand, high growth school. Lake Grove Elementary has the highest growth rate projected over the next 10 years vs other neighborhood schools in the district according to the February 20th School Board PSU Projections. +29% growth projected over the next 10 years. Lake Grove Elementary School, TODAY, currently enrolls the highest amount of kindergarteners per elementary school in the district. The Lake Grove enrollment area also contains an inventory of developable land for future housing west of the school that will lead to future growth.
https://loswegok12.granicus.com/MetaViewer.php?view_id=3&clip_id=840&meta_id=61472
Whereas;
The Lake Oswego School District’s Equity Lens Policy requires that all decisions on facilities are filtered through the impact on traditionally marginalized populations. The Lake Grove Elementary School is currently in a walkable location to the Hacienda CDC Low Income Housing units being developed on Boones Ferry Road. Lake Grove Elementary is the 3rd most diverse school in the District. It has the second lowest median estimated household income, the highest percent of households receiving public assistance.
(PSU Report, February school board meeting)
https://loswegok12.granicus.com/MetaViewer.php?view_id=3&clip_id=840&meta_id=61472
Whereas;
The Long Range Facility Planning Committee did not review Hazard Material risks to children at Uplands such as t he lead in the water, lead paint and asbestos. The Long Range Facility Planning Committee were provided outdated enrollment projections in their February 2024 Meeting for study. The Long Range Facility Planning Committee did not participate in community and parent outreach, nor was public comment allowed in meetings, as required in the Long Range Facility Planning Committee Charter
American Academy of Pediatrics Releases Policy Statement Lead Toxicity
Lead-Report_drinking Water – Case Study NY Legislation
EPA Sets maximum contaminant level goal for lead at zero
Feb 2024 Updated Enrollment Presentation PSU
LRFP Board Appointed Committee Charter 2023 (losdschools.org)
Whereas;
The Lake Grove Elementary Softball fields are the only dedicated access for Girls Softball in Lake Oswego. The program is at risk if the ball fields close. The fields are also identified as a state-approved inventory as a historic site. It is rate that an open space would receive this categorization, but alignment was made in 2016 of their historic resource, given the original Lake Grove School was sited on the fields and was burned to the ground on the site in the 1948 fire.
https://heritagedata.prd.state.or.us/historic/index.cfm?do=main.loadFile&load=676203.pdf
Resolution:
Be it resolved, the Lake Forest Neighborhood Association supports the rebuild of the Lake Grove Elementary School on its current site. The Lake Forest Neighborhood Association strongly opposes the closing of Lake Grove Elementary and the permanent move to Uplands.
