NPES will be receiving numerous renovations in summer 2021. These include safety and seismic upgrades in the building as well as a new playground where the portables currently reside (these will be moved to the Peter Boscow campus).

Over the past several months, from summer 2020 through January 2021, major projects were completed, including the new, stand-alone gymnasium (which also provides a community youth recreation resource), a new parent dropoff and parking lot, and a renovated bus dropoff and staff parking lot. The memorial baseball field also was refurbished.

In 2018, the building roof was upgraded and classrooms received new flexible furniture. In all, about $12.2 million of bond funding will be invested in NPES. While these projects do not produce an entirely new school, they rejuvenate the campus to serve students, staff and the North Plains community for years to come.

As for temporarily moving all North Plains students to AFES, this option was considered but dropped for several reasons. Staffing, which is about 80% of our operational costs, would need to follow the students, wherever they are, and to ensure adequate teacher-student ratios. So, there would not be dramatic cost savings in this area. Transportation costs may be increased since most students will not be in the walking zone for AFES. Certain district program(s) may be housed at AFES to utilize the building beyond student education. Above all, having students move from school to school is known to be detrimental to their well-being and will disrupt school culture and community.

We do understand your child care concerns, which boundary changes can impact. An option is for parents to apply for alternate pickup and/or dropoff transportation to a child care provider within their school attendance area (once transportation routes are finalized after the boundary process). More information and forms can be found on the Transportation Department page. Still to be determined is the availability of on-site after-school programs.

Attendance boundaries are governed by School Board policies JC and JECC and their administrative rules, with the expectation that students attend the schools that they are assigned. HSD does not have an open enrollment process as it can greatly impact balancing of enrollments and equity, as well as the subsequent allocation of staffing and resources. Also, since HSD’s boundaries incorporate not only North Plains and Hillsboro, but parts of Banks, Beaverton, Cornelius, Sherwood, and Portland as well, our policies must be applied equitably and consistently across the district. We would be unable to offer an open enrollment option for just one area.

Like our neighbors in North Plains, our school can be impacted by the odors wafting from the Recology facility, depending on how the wind blows and when the compost is turned. However, this is beyond the district’s control as the business operations are governed by state DEQ regulations. Our school’s HVAC systems can filter out fine particulates, but not the odors. So, unfortunately, at this time, students and staff will need to get used to these smells and mitigate them as best as they can, just as they do at home.

Recology does accept reports from neighbors about odor concerns. The phone number posted on their website is (503) 647-9489.