McKay Elementary in southeast Beaverton, a small neighborhood school with a loyal following, could shut its doors as soon as this fall. The twist: many of the school’s own teachers and families are supporting a careful consolidation plan. Under the approach now taking shape, roughly half of McKay’s students would move to Greenway Elementary and the rest to the rebuilt Raleigh Hills campus. Supporters say closing the aging building would allow teachers to follow their students, keeping classroom communities together while the Beaverton School District works through a broader facilities and budget realignment tied to falling enrollment.
Teachers and parents signed on
A district committee’s final report called for yearly reviews of elementary schools with fewer than 350 students, and community leaders pointed to McKay’s small enrollment and the building’s condition as reasons to support consolidation. An open letter signed by more than 60 families urged an orderly transition, and many McKay teachers told reporters they would prefer to move with their students rather than be scattered across multiple campuses. Principal Erin Kollings and parent leader Erin Harper have been among the local voices helping shape the proposal, according to The Oregonian/OregonLive.
Budget pressure is the driving force
District officials say the financial backdrop is hard to ignore. The Beaverton School District reports a structural deficit and is planning to trim spending by about $10 million a year over each of the next three years. To close that gap, leaders are shifting to staffing and resource allocations that track closely with enrollment. That approach, combined with projected declines in student numbers, leaves smaller schools like McKay especially exposed, according to the Beaverton School District.
Raleigh Hills rebuild and space
One piece of the puzzle is the new Raleigh Hills campus, now under construction in a roughly $67 million rebuild funded by the district’s 2022 bond. The replacement school is scheduled to open in fall 2026 and is designed for about 770 students in seismically reinforced classrooms. Bond planners say the project will wipe out millions of dollars in deferred maintenance and bring upgrades in accessibility, on-site traffic flow and community gathering spaces, according to the district's bond site.
What families and teachers say
Parents who signed the open letter told reporters they weighed safety, class size and long-term stability before backing consolidation. Staff members have stressed the value of keeping grade-level teams together so students see familiar faces in their new buildings. Supporters frame the potential closure as a practical move: retire an aging facility and send students to schools they view as safer and better resourced. At the same time, neighbors who see McKay as a community hub say the thought of losing a longtime gathering place is tough to swallow, even if they understand the financial math.
What happens next
The district is gathering public input this month through Budget Listening and Learning sessions, with a Budget 101 review scheduled in March. Final budget recommendations are expected to go before the school board in May. Those decisions will determine whether, and in what form, the McKay consolidation proceeds for the 2026-27 school year, according to the district’s budget materials.
