EXHIBITS Page 135 <br />planning activity. The law defines high growth districts as those that have an enrollment <br />of over 5,000 students and an increase in enrollment of six percent or more during the <br />three most recent school years. At present, there are no high growth school districts in the <br />UGB. <br />28. ORS 197.296(4)(a) states that when the UGB is amended to provide needed housing, "As <br />part of this process, the amendment shall include sufficient land reasonably necessary to <br />accommodate the siting of new public school facilities. The need and inclusion of lands <br />for new public school facilities shall be a coordinated process between the affected public <br />school districts and the local government that has the authority to approve the urban <br />growth boundary." <br />29. Enrollment projections for the five public school districts in the metropolitan area and the <br />University of Oregon and Lane Community College (LCC) are not consistent. Bethel <br />School District and the University of Oregon expect increases while Springfield and <br />Eugene School Districts and LCC are experiencing nearly flat or declining enrollments. <br />Enrollment is increasing fastest in the elementary and high school attendance areas near <br />new development. <br />30. Short-term fluctuations in school attendance are addressed through the use of adjusted <br />attendance area boundaries, double shifting, use of portable classrooms, and busing. <br />School funding from the state is based on student enrollment for school districts in the <br />State of Oregon. This funding pattern affects the willingness of districts to allow out-of- <br />district transfers and to adjust district boundaries. Adjustments in district boundaries may <br />be feasible where there is no net loss or gain in student enrollments between districts. <br />31. Creating or retaining small, neighborhood schools reduces the need for busing and <br />provides more opportunity for students to walk or bike to school. Quality smaller schools <br />may allow more parents to stay in established neighborhoods and to avoid moving out to <br />new subdivisions on the urban fringe or to bedroom communities. However, growth <br />patterns do not always respect school district boundaries. For example, natural cycles of <br />growth and neighborhood maturation result in uneven geographic growth patterns in the <br />metropolitan area, causing a disparity between the location of some schools and school <br />children. This results in some fringe area schools exceeding capacity, while some central <br />city schools are under capacity. <br />32. Long-range enrollment forecasts determine the need to either build new schools, expand <br />existing facilities, or close existing schools. Funding restrictions imposed by state law <br />and some provisions in local codes may discourage the retention and redevelopment of <br />neighborhood schools. Limits imposed by state law on the use of bond funds for <br />operations and maintenance make the construction of new, lower maintenance buildings <br />preferable to remodeling existing school buildings. In addition, if existing schools were <br />expanded, some school sites may not meet current local parking and other code <br />requirements. <br />Laurel Ridge Record (Z 15-5) Page 698 <br />