In his recent letter to the editor in Lookout Eugene-Springfield, David Force cites several factors for declining enrollment in Springfield Public Schools: lower birth rates and more relocation to other districts. Both are true.
But I ask: Are declining school enrollments inevitable, or can we rethink public education to revitalize schools and help stop the decline?
I think we can. And we must. According to data from the Oregon Department of Education, Springfield Public Schools has lost 20% of its students since the 2017-18 school year, falling from around 11,000 students to fewer than 9,000 now. That’s more than 2,000 kids in less than 10 years — including a reported 471 this year alone?! How can this be possible? Is this normal?…