Boundary Updates

We are reaching out to share important information about a potential boundary adjustment within the Tigard-Tualatin School District.  As we consider the needs of our schools and students, we are evaluating boundary adjustment options that would increase enrollment at Art Rutkin Elementary School beginning in the 2025-2026 school year. Currently, Rutkin serves 134 students, and we are weighing options that would increase that number to between 200 and 300 for next fall.  The purpose of this message is to provide information to Deer Creek families about the potential changes, and make you aware of opportunities to provide input ahead of any recommendations being made to the School Board.

As you can see from the graphics below (or in the attached PDF), two of the three options TTSD is considering would impact a portion of the families living in the Deer Creek Elementary attendance area. These options are numbered randomly and not in any order of preference:

1. Option one would shift approximately 79 students from Deer Creek to Art Rutkin.  On the map below labeled “Art Rutkin Boundary Change Option One,” the area shaded pink would be the impacted area for Deer Creek.
2. Option two would shift approximately 79 students from Mary Woodward to Art Rutkin.  On the map below labeled “Boundary Change Option Two,” the area shaded pink would be the impacted area for Mary Woodward.
3. Option three would shift approximately 158 students from both Deer Creek and Mary Woodward to Art Rutkin. On the map below labeled “Boundary Change Option Three,” the areas shaded pink would be the impacted areas for both Deer Creek and Mary Woodward.

We understand that boundary changes have a significant impact on families, and we are committed to an open and transparent process.  Ahead of any recommendations being made to the Board, we will provide opportunities for community feedback to ensure that all voices are heard.  On March 3, 2025, at 6:30 p.m. in the Deer Creek library, and March 4, at 6:30 in the Mary Woodward Library. TTSD staff will host an input session at which families can learn more about the boundary change options and offer input.  For families that cannot attend in person, a survey will be offered to collect input instead.  We have also developed a Frequently Asked Questions document that can be a resource for information related to these boundary change options.

Thank you for your understanding and partnership as we work to create balanced and sustainable enrollment across our schools. If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to Lisa Burton in our Community Relations Department at lburton@ttsd.k12.or.us or (503) 431-4000.

PDF of Map One

PDF of Map Two

PDF of Map Three

Dear TTSD Families,

Earlier this week we asked you to provide survey responses on a potential 2025-26 boundary adjustment. Three proposals, designed to boost enrollment at Art Rutkin Elementary, could have implications for Mary Woodward and Deer Creek families. We appreciate receiving a number of survey responses and would like to share some answers to common questions and concerns.

We’ve included our responses below, and have added them to our FAQ that is available on the Boundary Updates webpage.

Also, we look forward to seeing many of you at two public meetings next week: March 3 from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Deer Creek and March 4 from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Woodward. After hearing from families, we are also planning a meeting from 6 to 7 p.m. at Art Rutkin on March 18 at which a preferred boundary proposal will be discussed. The March 18 meeting will also allow families a firsthand view of the new Rutkin campus. 

As always, we appreciate your opinions and understand that any proposed change such as this creates challenges. We are here to listen and do our best to create opportunities for our more than 11,000 students to thrive.

What effects will these proposed changes have on class sizes and teacher assignments?

The District works to balance class sizes at and between every school based on enrollment. To meet our students’ needs, teachers will be assigned in accordance with our collective bargaining agreements.

How will this change affect feeder patterns and our students’ transitions to middle school and high school?

There will be no change in the current feeder patterns for middle and high schools due to the larger enrollment at Twality MS and to maintain the enrollment balance at Tigard and Tualatin high schools.  

• If students move from Mary Woodward to Art Rutkin they will remain in the Fowler Middle School, then Tigard High School feeder pattern.
• If students move from Deer Creek to Rutkin they will remain in the Twality Middle School, then Tualatin High School feeder pattern.

Our school has strong support for special needs students – how can we be sure that their needs would be served at Art Rutkin?

TTSD is committed to making sure that students with disabilities receive the support they need in their neighborhood schools. Special education programs are staffed based on the number of students who need services. As more students join Art Rutkin, the district will provide the necessary staff and resources to support the program. TTSD has a longstanding reputation of providing excellent special education. 

Will our current fourth-graders (going into fifth grade this fall) have to change schools?

No. Incoming fifth-graders will be allowed to stay at their current school, and their siblings may stay there with them for one year.

Won’t this boundary adjustment create a disruption for students having to make new friends and adapt to new environments? And what about impacts on parents who have invested time and energy into parent organizations?

There’s no question that making a school change is challenging for students and their families. We are committed to making transitions as smooth as possible and helping assure a sense of belonging for those affected students and their families. Districts across Oregon and the country regularly make boundary change proposals designed to balance enrollment and ensure equitable opportunities for students.   

Dear Rutkin/Deer Creek/Woodward Families,

First, we want to thank you all for the strong turnout this week at two evening meetings to discuss three boundary change proposals for the 2025-26 school year. We appreciate your investment in your neighborhood school, your interest in the process, and your desire for complete and timely information. 

Surveys and in-person meetings have produced mixed feedback on our proposals ranging from relief for a shortened commute and excitement to learn in a new building to frustrations over being uprooted from a beloved school community and uncertainties that lie ahead. We empathize with families that have shared criticism and recognize that inevitably there will be some dissatisfaction with our final decision. We are committed to listening, and being transparent in our communication. Ultimately we need to make a decision that prioritizes our district’s long-term planning. 

Moving forward we are exploring ways to  provide transportation accommodations, and other creative paths to minimize family disruptions. Other suggestions are welcome and will be considered. Again, no final decisions have been made.

Our next steps are to identify a preferred option to be shared publicly by March 17, with opportunities to visit Art Rutkin the following evening. The recommendations will be provided to the Board only after all input has been reviewed. 

Again, we appreciate your engagement, honest feedback and commitment to schools. We know accurate information is paramount during this process. In the spirit of accurate information we have posted the presentation slide deck and updated FAQs that we will continue to keep current. Don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions. 

Sincerely, 
Dr. Iton Udosenata

Dear Mary Woodward and Deer Creek families,

Please join us for an Art Rutkin Open House, on Tuesday, March 18, at  6:00 p.m. This will be an opportunity to tour the building and meet Art Rutkin staff. 

Art Rutkin Elementary
15600 SW River Terrace Blvd
Tigard

On Monday, March 17, we will share via email the preferred boundary option that will be recommended to the School Board on April 7, 2025. 

Contact Lisa Burton at lburton@ttsd.k12.or.us or call 503-431-4098 if you have questions.

Dear Mary Woodward, Deer Creek, and Art Rutkin Families,

We had planned to share a preferred boundary proposal today as part of our ongoing efforts to balance enrollment across the district and make adjustments that reduce travel for families, particularly those living near the newly constructed Art Rutkin Elementary School. However, after receiving feedback from families, we are conducting additional polling this week with some potentially affected families to gather further insight. As a result, we will need a little more time before finalizing our recommendation. We now anticipate sharing the preferred option with you next week after reviewing input from parents.

This polling will help us refine our planning by better understanding enrollment patterns at the affected schools and assessing the possibility of expanding transfer opportunities for some students. At this time, no final decisions have been made.

We appreciate your patience as we take this additional step to ensure a thoughtful approach.

In the meantime, we are moving forward with plans for an Art Rutkin Open House on Tuesday, March 18, at 6:00 p.m. This event will provide an opportunity to tour our newest school and meet Art Rutkin staff. While we will be available to answer general questions about Art Rutkin Elementary, this event will not include a forum for public testimony or discussion on the boundary proposal. We have already gathered community input through two feedback meetings, a written survey, and comments shared at a recent School Board meeting.

We look forward to welcoming families who would like to visit the Rutkin campus tomorrow evening.

TTSD Boundary Committee

The following message was sent to families of current 3rd and 4th graders. 

Dear Mary Woodward and Deer Creek Families,

As mentioned in an email Monday, we are surveying parents potentially affected by the Art Rutkin boundary change to help us refine our planning. We are sending you this survey as the parent of a rising (2025-26) fifth grader or fourth grader. 

Your response, due by Sunday, March 23, will help our understanding of enrollment patterns at the affected schools and allow us to consider the possibility of expanding transfer opportunities for some students.

We expect to be able to share the preferred boundary option with you by no later than April 3 after reviewing input from parents. The School Board is expected to make a decision at their April 7 meeting.

If you are interested in a firsthand view of Art Rutkin Elementary, please consider attending our Rutkin Open House today, Tuesday, March 18, at 6:00 p.m. While we will be available to answer general questions about Art Rutkin, this event will not include a forum for public testimony or discussion on the boundary proposal. 

Thank you for completing this survey so we can factor in your plans in reaching a decision that best serves TTSD students.

If you have questions reach out to Lisa Burton at lburton@ttsd.k12.or.us. 

TTSD Boundary Committee

Dear Mary Woodward, Deer Creek and Art Rutkin Families,

We are reaching out to share the TTSD Boundary Committee’s preferred option for Art Rutkin Elementary, which we will recommend to the School Board at their April 7 meeting. The committee appreciates the extensive community feedback that has helped guide this process.

Our committee will be recommending “Option 3” (adding portions of both the Deer Creek and Woodward areas to Rutkin’s boundary). Our recommendation includes a lottery process that would allow some current third-grade families (fourth grade in 2025-26) to stay at their school based on grade-level capacity and staffing considerations. The recommendation also includes our standard practice for current fourth graders (and siblings) to have a one-year transfer approved upon request.

The committee arrived at this recommendation after carefully reviewing TTSD priorities for boundary updates, family survey data, community input sessions, written comments, grade-level enrollment figures, and projected student-to-staff ratios.

If the Board approves the committee’s recommendation on April 7, students in the affected boundary areas from both Mary Woodward and Deer Creek would transition to Art Rutkin in the 2025-2026 school year. An outline of the recommendation details can be found at the bottom of this email.

Please note that TTSD has an existing transfer process for any parents who believe their students meet the criteria, and principals at the affected schools are committed to honoring those applications that qualify.   

We appreciate your patience and engagement throughout this process. We look forward to ensuring a smooth transition for students heading to Art Rutkin and welcoming back those who will stay at their current school for 2025-26.

TTSD Boundary Committee

–

 Rutkin recommendation details

• All current fourth graders may choose to remain at their respective school for fifth grade, along with their siblings, through a one-year transfer agreement. Transportation will be provided for these students for the 2025-2026 school year. Siblings will be expected to transition to Rutkin for the 2026-2027 school year.  

• Families of current third graders may apply to remain at their respective school for fourth and fifth grade through a limited number of lottery transfer spots, as determined by grade-level capacity and staffing requirements. All siblings would be allowed to complete their elementary education at the same school. No transportation is guaranteed for families in the lottery transfer process, but it is likely to be available for the 2025-26 school year. This lottery transfer process, expected to conclude by the first week in May, will be outlined after April 7.

• Transportation will be provided for students transitioning to Art Rutkin. 

• Incoming Rutkin students will remain in the feeder patterns of their current schools: Deer Creek (Twality/Tualatin) and Woodward (Fowler/Tigard). The committee heard and considered at length concerns from Woodward parents around this issue, but current high enrollment at Twality MS created challenges that could not be resolved without a larger process. 

• TTSD is aware that the topic of middle school feeder patterns is significant to families, and we are committed to open dialogue and family engagement as we explore solutions to feeder pattern concerns and boundary issues in the years to come.

• Transition activities are being planned for students moving to Rutkin, and students can expect a school visit and tour of Art Rutkin later in the spring. For students with disabilities, TTSD will create continuity with current special education services, and ensure that students receive the necessary supports and accommodations in alignment with their IEP.  Families can expect communication from the special education department before the end of the school year.