Co-Location Information Hub

What is Happening?

Family School will co-locate with Camas Ridge Community School at Camas Ridge’s current building starting in the fall of 2026.

The school board unanimously approved the co-location at its meeting on Wednesday, Feb. 4, as it authorized a final phase of budget cuts to close a projected $30 million shortfall for the 2026-27 school year. District staff will now work on next steps for co-location, including devising a transition committee that will include staff and families from both schools, and choosing a new principal for the campus. District staff will send information to families on next steps soon. 

Family School is one of 4J’s smallest elementary schools, with slightly more than 100 enrolled students. It’s the last remaining alternative school at the elementary level that is not part of a language immersion program. Families must request enrollment through 4J’s school choice process and receive placement via lottery.

Learn More Here: 4J Co-Location Information Page

  • Jan 8. Email - Read Here

    Jan 15 Email - Read Here

    Feb 3 Email - Read Here

    Feb 5 Email - Read Here


  • Notes from Superintendent’s Camas Ridge Family Meeting - 1/13 Read Here

  • Join Discussion Here

    https://groupme.com/

  • Add your voice to the conversation and fill out the form HERE


    • Family School, is a small public school-choice elementary school in the 4J district. 

    • Family school currently has ~111 students and Camas Ridge has ~260 students. 

    • Learn more about Family School here: https://family.4j.lane.edu/

How is the Camas Ridge Community Organization involved in the potential co-location process?

The CRCO’s Primary Role is to support those in our school community now and into the long-term future - this includes our staff, learners, and community.

CRCO WILL:

  • Amplify Parent Voices 

    • Make sure parent questions and comments are shared with District staff and decision makers.

    • Provide clear, unbiased information for parents and the community.

  • Center Student Experience

    • Make sure all decisions put students first, keep them safe, support their success, and honor Camas Ridge values while supporting families, staff, and the Life Skills program if co-location is approved.

CRCO is NOT:

  • A decision maker

  • Choosing sides - pro/anti co-location

Why would this recommendation be made?

As previously shared with the community, Eugene School District 4J is projecting an approximately $30 million budget shortfall for the 2026–27 school year. They must balance the budget (state law requires this), while planning for a long-term future that best supports all our kids.

  • This fiscal reality requires difficult choices about programs, staffing, and district operations. Before advancing those decisions, the district shared their priority to listen closely to those most impacted—our staff, families, students, and broader community.

  • Learn more about the budget reduction process and what they heard from the community and staff on the Eugene 4j Budget Website: https://www.4j.lane.edu/budget

How did we get to a potential co-location?

  • Based on the extreme budget constraints facing our school district the Eugene Superintendent, Dr. Mickelson originally recommended the closure of Family School due to its small size. 

  • However, upon that recommendation the Family School community spoke out about the unique needs of their student population and the creative ways that the school was able to support their students. Dr. Mickelson has shared that after listening to and learning from the Family School community, she began looking for other ways to keep the program open while staying within the budget. This led the District to explore the idea of sharing a building with another school.

  • While the District looked at many possible buildings for this shared space. Camas Ridge became the best option because it has enough space in their building*, is close to Family School’s current location, and shares similar values and programs.

    *The school building is built to fit up to 450 kids.

    There are currently 317 elementary school aged kids that live in the Camas neighborhood school boundary area but only 200 of these kids actually attend our school. Camas Ridge currently has 260 students—200 from the neighborhood and 60 through school choice or the Life Skills program.

What was the Timeline on the decision to co-locate?

  • January 21, 2026 - 4J School Board Meeting: The Superintendent presented the recommendation for co-location on January 21, 2026 to the School Board as part of the overall Phase 3 - Budget Reductions.

  • February 4 – 4J School Board Meeting: The School Board voted in approval of the Phase 3 budget cuts, including their support to co-locate Family School at Camas Ridge Community School where they will share the Camas Ridge campus.

  • Now with School Board approval a transition committee will quickly be formed by District staff to guide the co-location. The committee will likely be made up of district staff, and parents, and staff from both schools. No details have been finalized or shared on this process yet - CRCO is tracking this closely. 

  • September 2026: With School Board approval given on February 4th - the two schools will begin sharing the Camas Ridge site at the start of the September 2026-2027 School Year.