Viviana Burke's sign during the Monday, June 9 Lake Oswego School Board Meeting (Mac Larsen / Lake Oswego Review).

During the Monday, June 9 Lake Oswego School Board meeting, a small sign hovered behind the heads of each speaker. 

It read, “Save our Teachers, Fight for Students,” and reflected the sentiments of the crowd of teachers, students and parents who came to speak about possible changes to middle school block schedules. 

To save money amidst a $10 million budget shortfall, the school district suggested in a message on Friday, May 30 that a seven-period daily schedule could be implemented at Lakeridge and Lake Oswego middle schools as a cost-saving measure if anticipated expenditures rise. 

A traditional, seven period schedule saves funds by reducing teachers’ paid prep time or possibly decreasing the number of teaching positions needed at a school. The suggestion of a seven period schedule  upset many students, families and teachers in the middle levels. 

“I understand that the district is facing a budget shortfall, but that should not make us sacrifice the quality of our education,”  seventh-grader Paige Powers said during the Monday meeting’s public comment period. “We are currently on a rainbow schedule that has seven classes that are different depending on the color day. This schedule has been in place for years, and is a big reason our students are so successful, our current schedule allows the workload to be spread out.”

Powers also pointed out that students would spend a total of 30 hours walking from class to class over the course of a school year with a seven-period schedule. 

Currently, Lake Oswego Middle School and Lakeridge Middle School use a “rainbow schedule” or an alternating five block schedule with 65 minute classes. 

Under the possible schedule shift, middle school students would attend seven 43-minute classes each day. All classes would be shortened on Thursdays when middle schoolers have early release. 

 “I understand that ultimately we have to balance the budget that is non-negotiable, but I  believe that we do not have to sacrifice the rainbow schedule to do that,” said Willow Myrland, a 6th-grade science teacher at LOMS. “If you do, what you’re doing is creating 43-minute class periods, seven transitions a day. I specialize in sixth graders. They’re coming from elementary school moving to a seven period day with seven transitions. Those transitions are not good for middle school students.” 

Blended elementary school classrooms and larger high school class sizes were suggested by the district as other possible impacts. 

What comes next

The possibility of further budget reductions, in addition to the $10 million previously announced, stems partially from ongoing negotiations between the district and the Lake Oswego Education Association and lower statewide revenues, which leaves an open-ended uncertainty to next school year’s budget. 

“How can we hope to achieve equitable academic outcomes when teachers wouldn’t even have enough time to teach? Without the hour per class we currently have, teachers will not be able to give one-on-one aid to students who are in need of extra support,” said 8th-grader Viviana Burke. “All three years of my middle school career, we have used the rainbow schedule, and it has fit every teacher and students’ needs, unlike the proposed seven block schedule.”

Although the Monday meeting was scheduled as a hearing for the district’s 2025-26 school year budget, budget discussion and adoption will continue at the next meeting on Monday, June 26.