75% of LO households do not have kids in the school district

What we learned from the LOSD Superintendent at the September 26 Neighborhood Association Chairs meeting

I think many of us were surprised when Lake Oswego School District Superintendent Dr. Schiele shared this statistic at the September 26, 2026, Neighborhood Association Chairs (NCC) meeting: About 75% of Lake Oswego households do not have children enrolled in the school district.

That’s a striking reminder that Lake Oswego is a community with many residents who are aging in place or living in households without school-age children. Yet our community continues to support its schools and approve bonds to fund school facilities.

Dr. Schiele and Mary Kay Larson, Executive Director of Communications for LOSD, attended the meeting to thank neighborhood associations for their continued support of the schools and school bonds. We should all be so proud! I've known and come to both respect and like Dr. Schiele since she was Walgua (now Lakeridge Middle School) Principal and then when she became Principal at Lakeridge. And I met Mary Kay volunteering on the team for the Southshore Fire Station Bond. She lives in LO and volunteered to help us learn about how local Bond campaigns work. She too is stellar. And they were both out to talk to us on their Saturday morning. Thank you!

What Else Did We Learn?

Lake Oswego Schools are Ranked #1 in Oregon

• Niche, an independent rated LOSD #1 in Oregon of 144 districts evaluated. Niche also lists the district at #1 for teachers in Oregon and #2 for places to teach.

• Niche is a private research and review website, not a government education agency. Its rankings draw on government education statistics and other data, alongside reviews and survey responses. Its overall grade incorporates academics, teachers, college preparation, extracurricular activities, administration, sports, food, resources and facilities, and diversity.

• Niche's 2027 district ranking assigns 50% of its score to academics, 15% to teachers, 12.5% to culture and diversity, and 12.5% to parent/student experience surveys, with the remaining 10% allocated to facilities, activities and sports.

Niche also ranked each individual School in LOSD

Elementary Schools

Middle Schools

High Schools

Learn more on their website: https://www.niche.com/

Enrollment trends

• 5% of Lake Oswego residents are under 5 years old.

• Overall district enrollment is relatively steady. Elementary enrollment has declined, while middle and high school enrollment has increased.

• Kindergarten attendance is not required by Oregon law, so kindergarten enrollment alone does not tell the whole story about school enrollment.

Class sizes

• Elementary classes average approximately 23.8 students.

• Middle and high school classes average approximately 30 students.

School funding and staffing

• The district receives approximately $95 million annually in state funding.

• The local option levy and Schools Foundation provide additional support, including approximately $1.5 million from the Foundation, according to the figures shared at the meeting.

• The district's total operating budget is approximately $129 million.

• Community support for Lake Oswego's local option levy is significant, as it funds about 15% of the daily operating budget.

• Two years ago, state funding reductions of about $10 million led to the elimination of approximately 100 positions, reducing staffing from 997 to 897 employees. The district has since been able to rehire many of the affected teachers.

• Although enrollment has declined in some grades, additional funding weights for students with individualized plans help offset some of the financial impact.

State Testing and Oregon School Rankings Nationwide

Dr. Schiele also discussed student participation in state testing and suggested that participation rates across districts may affect Oregon's standing in national comparisons. This is worth exploring further, since test participation is one factor to consider when interpreting school performance data.

Mary Kay sent me a note afterwards to clarify that, "Clarify the distinction between NAEP and OSAS: no schools participated in the test last year for the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), often called 'The Nation's Report Card.' This is a broad U.S. Department of Education project measuring nationwide student performance. No LO students were selected to participate; it wasn't an opt-out choice. However, when discussing state testing generally, people think of the Oregon Statewide Assessments (OSAS). About 93% of our students took the annual OSAS this past year. Our goal is a minimum 95% participation rate across all schools and grade levels to meet state/federal requirements and avoid receiving a score of zero for unassessed students."

Schools Serve the Community Beyond the Classroom

We learned that LOSD school buildings can also play an important role during emergencies. With generators and emergency preparations, school facilities can serve as community shelters when needed. The buildings may also be rented for community use outside school hours. These are valuable community resources, extending the role of our schools beyond the regular school day.

They shared updates on completed improvements, including the newly renovated Lake Oswego Middle School. The photos look incredible! Mary Kay noted that the facility is available for tours and can be rented by local groups. See photos and project information here.

Volunteers Are Needed

Dr. Schiele pointed out that with many parents both working, fewer are available to volunteer at school. She welcomed the idea of connecting community members who want to help with schools that need volunteers.

There are opportunities at the elementary, middle and high school levels. All volunteers must complete a background check.

Currently, there is no centralized district-wide system for recruiting and placing volunteers. Opportunities are generally arranged informally by contacting district staff or individual school leaders.

How Can Our Neighborhoods Help?

The September 26 presentation was a useful reminder that our schools are a community investment, even for households without children enrolled in LOSD.

Whether we have school-age children, are longtime residents, or are newcomers to Lake Oswego, we all have a stake in the future of our community.

Would you be interested in volunteering at an LOSD school? If so, what skills, experience or time could you offer? A more organized connection between neighborhood associations and our schools could help match willing volunteers with meaningful opportunities. Contact us to share your ideas