Thank LOSD and the Bond Development Committee for their commitment to keep Lake Grove where it is!
Thank you for your investment in the effort to Save Lake Grove. Although you may have written before, it’s now bond season! Please show your support of including Lake Grove Elementary rebuild in the upcoming bond renewal package, and your commitment to helping pass a bond that includes LGE.
School Board meetings are held on the last Monday of the month through out the school year.
- You have the option to provide In-Person or Written Testimony. Please submit your testimony BY 12:00 NOON on the day of the meeting.
- Follow the directions here to submit or request to give in-person testimony. Students get priority to speak, and the time ranges from 1-3 minutes. Speakers have been given 2 minutes at recent meetings.
- As much as possible, please share the FAQs and this template letter with your Lake Grove community and encourage others to voice a united and consistent message – THANK YOU FOR KEEPING LAKE GROVE WHERE IT IS
Submitting Testimony Logistics
For instruction from the LOSD website: https://www.losdschools.org/lake-oswego-school-board/providing-testimony
Summarized version:
- For In-Person Testimony:
- Submit to kelli.cranston@loswego.k12.or.us by Noon
- Also cc Executive Director of the Long Term Planning Facility, Anthony Vandenberg: vandenba@loswego.k12.or.us; and Superintendent, Jennifer Schiele: schielej@loswego.k12.or.us
- In Subject Line, include In-Person Testimony
- To ensure you are provided an opportunity to provide in-person testimony, you must include your name, address, phone number, email address, and your affiliation with the district i.e. parent, student, community member.
- For Written Testimony:
- Submit to the Board losdschoolboard@loswego.k12.or.us by Noon
- Also cc Executive Director of the Long Term Planning Facility, Anthony Vandenberg: vandenba@loswego.k12.or.us; Superintendent, Jennifer Schiele: schielej@loswego.k12.or.us; and kelli.cranston@loswego.k12.or.us
- In Subject Line, include “Written Testimony”
- Include your full name in the body of the email.
- Note that all written testimony is received by the board and names are read aloud during the meeting (written testimony is not read aloud). In addition, all written testimony is pasted into a single document (personal info is redacted) and posted online.
Also, tag the PTA Facebook or Instagram to let others know that you’ve submitted a testimony, tag #savelakegrove, and encourage others to also submit a testimony!
SAMPLE LETTER to LOSD (Awaiting Recommendation from Bond Development Committee)
YOUR NAME
YOUR ADDRESS
YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS
YOUR PHONE NUMBER
YOUR AFFILIATION: EX: Parent of Lake Grove Elementary Student
DATE
SUBJECT: IN-PERSON TESTIMONY – THE DATA IS CLEAR, REBUILD LAKE GROVE WHERE IT IS
– or –
SUBJECT: WRITTEN TESTIMONY – THE DATA IS CLEAR, REBUILD LAKE GROVE WHERE IT IS
Dear LOSD Board Members,
Introduction
- Introduce yourself and your connection to Lake Grove e.g., My name is Lake Grover and I am a parent/neighbor/concerned citizen.
- Briefly state the purpose of your letter e.g., I am writing to reiterate with the LOSD Board the importance of keeping Lake Grove Elementary School where it is, express interest in the Bond Development Committee’s recommendations, and offer support in the campaign to pass the bond.
Body
- We in the community look forward to hearing the recommendations made by the Bond Development Committee, appreciate their work the last several months, and very much hope the LOSD Board proceeds with plans that leave Lake Grove Elementary on its existing site without compromise.
- We remind the board that the Lake Grove community’s engagement could be key in Bond Passage. The Save Lake Grove community is invested and ready to reciprocate support to the district at large, helping to pass the bond in an era of extreme financial pressure and uncertainty. We are a passionate force that is ready and willing be leveraged to ensure the entire district receives voter-approved funds for critical projects, alongside a rebuilt Lake Grove Elementary.
- We keep our hopes up, and our signs up. Until ground is broken on rebuilding Lake Grove where it is with plans we agree put students’ interests first, we will continue with the campaign to Save Lake Grove.
Conclusion
- Thank you, we’re watching, and we’re ready to act.
Respectfully,
Your signature
PREVIOUS TESTIMONY GUIDANCE
SAMPLE LETTER to LOSD (Response to Feasibility Study Findings)
YOUR NAME
YOUR ADDRESS
YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS
YOUR PHONE NUMBER
YOUR AFFILIATION: EX: Parent of Lake Grove Elementary Student
DATE
SUBJECT: IN-PERSON TESTIMONY – THE DATA IS CLEAR, REBUILD LAKE GROVE WHERE IT IS
– or –
SUBJECT: WRITTEN TESTIMONY – THE DATA IS CLEAR, REBUILD LAKE GROVE WHERE IT IS
Dear LOSD Board Members,
Introduction
- Introduce yourself and your connection to Lake Grove e.g., My name is Lake Grover and I am a parent/neighbor/concerned citizen.
- Briefly state the purpose of your letter e.g., I am writing to share with the LOSD Board the importance of keeping Lake Grove Elementary School where it is, especially in light of the feasibility study findings.
Body
- The LOSD Board should remove any planning option that includes removing Lake Grove Elementary from its existing site for the following reasons:
- (SELECT ONE FROM BELOW OR CHOOSE A POINT THAT IS VALUABLE TO YOU!)
- Rebuilding Lake Grove is the Will of the People: Polling across all demographics and geographic boundaries favors rebuilding Lake Grove on site, every way the pollsters phrased the question.
- Closing Lake Grove Puts the Entire Bond at Risk: Not only is a rebuild explicitly favored by the public (53% net favor), but the polls indicate that any bond proposing the closure and relocation of Lake Grove fails to garner enough support to pass. Said another way, closing Lake Grove would jeopardize the entire bond, leaving the entire district without necessary funds for critical projects.
- Questionable Revenue Generation: The valuation estimates generated by the study are misleading and don’t tell the whole story. For one, the site is not zoned for commercial use at this time, and experts consulted at the open houses indicated it would be a challenge to rezone it. There are also no estimates of how much overhead it would cost the district to enter into the commercial landlord business, and that is what is being proposed. Commercially-rented properties are anything but flexible: land leases are typically 50-70 years long and very inflexible, so such an arrangement would be effectively giving up flexibility and adding costs for decades.
- Put Students First: The feasibility revealed that Lake Grove is a more walkable site by all measures, and its students would be heavily impacted by longer bus times. Taken with the polling data indicating voters would not support investment in a large admin building, and shaky revenue generation estimates, it’s clear where the district’s priorities should lay: student well-being should be at the center of this decision.
Conclusion
- Prioritize student needs and the impact to our greater community. Honor the will of the people. Keep Lake Grove where it is.
Respectfully,
Your signature
The feasibility study only addressed a narrow subset of concerns. You are welcome to include any of the previous points in your testimony as well – they are below for reference.
SAMPLE LETTER to LOSD (General)
YOUR NAME
YOUR ADDRESS
YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS
YOUR PHONE NUMBER
YOUR AFFILIATION: EX: Parent of Lake Grove Elementary Student
DATE
SUBJECT: IN-PERSON TESTIMONY – KEEP LAKE GROVE WHERE IT IS, REBUILD LAKE GROVE
– or –
SUBJECT: WRITTEN TESTIMONY – KEEP LAKE GROVE WHERE IT IS, REBUILD LAKE GROVE
Dear LOSD Board Members,
Introduction
- Introduce yourself and your connection to Lake Grove e.g., My name is Lake Grover and I am a parent/neighbor/concerned citizen.
- Briefly state the purpose of your letter e.g., I am writing to share with the LOSD Board the importance of keeping Lake Grove Elementary School where it is.
Body
- The LOSD Board should remove any planning option that includes removing Lake Grove Elementary from its existing site for the following reasons:
- (SELECT ONE FROM BELOW OR CHOOSE A POINT THAT IS VALUABLE TO YOU!)
- Projected Growth and Population Data: Lake Grove Elementary (LGE) is projected to have the highest enrollment in coming years. Housing development in Lake Oswego is changing, with higher density housing as a State and City priority. PSU’s forecast outlines the district has an annualized growth rate of 1.2%. The City is growing and we will have a more densely populated city to meet State housing mandates. PSU’s report highlights the age patterns of LOSD and suggests that migration of families with school age children is a significant contributor to growth. Lake Grove is situated in neighborhoods that are likely to experience increased growth and density as the City works to increase accessible housing. Household growth has been slower than population growth AND as more housing is developed, population will increase. Approximately 1/3 of households here have children, up slightly from 2010 and above the statewide average. We can see neighborhood turnover happening and when more housing is available, more young families will come to Lake Oswego. Increased growth is beneficial to the District as funding is attached to students.
- Equity and Access: LGE’s student population has 1 in 5 students with an IEP, which is double that of other LOSD schools. These students have greater needs for support and accommodations. LGE has a diverse student body, the highest population of renters and the second lowest average median income. Closing LGE will negatively impact students by moving them from their neighborhood school, disrupting their learning environment, and making it more difficult for families to engage with their neighborhood school. LGE should remain where it is in order to best serve these students. How does this align with LOSD’s Equity Lens Policy?
- Follow Through on Commitments: The Lake Grove Village Center Plan, adopted into the LO City Comprehensive Plan, includes our neighborhood school as central to the long-term vision for Lake Grove, in addition to the prospect of a library center. Not in place of. LGE is referenced 14 times in the City document and has been the hub and anchor of the community since 1924. If you review the LRFP Committee’s 2020 10-year plan, the Educational Adequacy Assessment data shows a strong argument that LGE should be high on the LOSD priority list for a rebuild. Many voters who voted YES on the three-step bond program feel there were many “unofficial” promises made regarding the future of LGE. The District’s marketing materials for the first bond call out Lake Grove being rebuilt. Additionally, Lake Grove was specifically called out in the District’s marketing materials as they started the 3 phase bond program. Why change course now? LO voters may have voted “yes” on the first 2 phases of the bond based on the promise of Lake Grove being rebuilt.
- Education and Health Outcomes for Students: Lake Grove is categorized by the EPA as a “Smart Site” to place a school according to walkability, transportation, accessibility and sustainability to the surrounding area. It scored the “smartest site” to place a school by the EPA in Lake Oswego. Closing Lake Grove and opening Uplands means redrawing school boundaries that affect ALL northside schools (Forest Hills, Oak Creek, Lake Grove, Uplands). It also means more families will pull to River Grove, as the new building has greater capacity. A one-minute increase in school commute times is associated with a 1.3 minute reduction in sleep, meaning that if a given student had a commute 15 minutes longer than another student, they would be sleeping almost 20 minutes less on average. Students with shorter commutes get more exercise compared to those with longer commutes. Given that sleep and exercise have well-established relationships to educational outcomes, students with longer commutes may face greater academic and overall health challenges as a result of their longer commute.
- Loss of Crucial Spaces: There is already a shortage of athletic field space for Lake Oswego student athletes. Lake Grove Elementary fields are frequently utilized by Lake Oswego recreational and club teams for practices and games. The only girls’ softball field rated for T-Ball to AA is at Lake Grove, Lake Oswego doesn’t have another one. Lake Grove’s gym is one of the larger elementary gyms, a key space for the growing youth basketball programs. The gym is able to hold two team’s practices simultaneously. LOSD benefits from Field Use Fees. Losing field space means lost revenue for LOSD and more competition for field space and time. Additionally, the gymnasium, covered play area, playground, music room, and grass field at Uplands are all smaller than what is currently at Lake Grove and would signal a step down in student/teacher experiences and school environment. Why would Lake Grove families support a bond that resulted in this direct trade off for students and teachers?
- Functional Use of Existing Spaces and Historic Misses: Lake Grove sits in the Urban Renewal District and LOSD is excited about the idea of revenue from leasing the land. Within the Urban Renewal District, sits Mercato Grove and the Yakima Building (formerly known as the West End Building). The City owned the property where the Yakima building sits and sold in 2011 for $20 million. Mercato Grove was touted as a family friendly space where people could gather, community members could connect and enjoy restaurants. It didn’t live up to the marketing and we are poised to deliver a developer or the City the same opportunity when we could prioritize the needs of students and the community that surrounds Lake Grove Elementary. Additionally, the LORAC is a partnership between the City and LOSD. When it opens, it will have mixed use spaces, spaces for room rentals/parties and will house all Parks and Rec staff. This could be used for some of the teen spaces that the City is advocating for. The Adult Community Center just underwent an extensive remodel and has many large mixed-use spaces. It is a short walk from the library and is woefully underutilized for the exact lifelong learning environment the City is advocating for. Why not use the spaces we just invested in?
- No Clear Path for Revenue Generation: LOSD has not provided information about how much revenue they hope to receive if they lease the Lake Grove site. They have also not provided information on how that funding would be used and how far it could stretch. On average, a teacher costs the district $120K (with benefits), and $70K for a classified staff. $1M in lease revenue annually could get you around 8.5 teachers, which adds about one teacher to each school. That is not a significant difference and doesn’t solve the District’s funding shortage. Ground leases are not very common in the market, and it may be hard to find a developer. The City has not avoided sharing how much land they would need to build a library or community center if they lease the property at Lake Grove. What other revenue generation strategies could the District consider? How can current revenue generation (student fees, tuition students, field/facilities fees, etc) strategies be bolstered?
Conclusion
- Prioritize student needs and the impact to our greater community. Keep Lake Grove where it is.
- We want to partner with you on a solution for Lake Oswego students. We look forward to further discussion and welcome your engagement and support.
Respectfully,
Your signature