This week’s message is the third in our three-part series on elementary boundaries and reconfiguration. If you missed Parts 1 and 2, you can read them on our website at the links below.
Part 1: Why reconfigure and who decides?
Part 2: What other factors or context should we take into consideration?
Part 3: What models are being considered and what’s next?
What models are being considered?
This past week, approximately 85 people joined in a community forum to discuss elementary reconfiguration, view maps and consider the opportunities associated with five different models. If you weren’t able to attend, you can find materials from this event on our Elementary Reconfiguration webpage here - or you can join for the upcoming forum on Wednesday (details below).
Current options being considered include: (1) No change in current boundaries and grade level configurations; (2) A full neighborhood school model that realigns boundaries so that the attendance zones for a school are all contiguous and are not separated; (3) A 3/4 neighborhood model that balances building utilization; (4) A grade band model with two K-2 schools and two grade 3-4 schools; (5) A model that focuses exclusively on balancing the student population by socioeconomic status.
What is most clear at this point is that this is a truly complex problem with no single, obvious answer. Our community holds competing priorities—whether that is preserving neighborhood school identity, minimizing student commute times, or balancing student needs—and there isn't an immediate consensus on which priority should take precedence.
What’s Next?
We will be continuing our deliberation, adjusting and eliminating options over the next few weeks. A board workshop is scheduled for October 26 with board action expected in November.
Join the Next Conversation on Wednesday - and come early for music or to chat with me!
Date: Wednesday, October 7, 2026
Music by Baba Ly / Desert Blues: 5:00 PM - 5:30 PM
Time: 5:30 PM – 7:00 PM
Location: Redbank Community Center (95 Macarthur Cir W)
Please visit spsdme.org/reconfiguration for more information and upcoming engagement opportunities.
Warm regards,
Angela Atkinson Duina, Ed.D.
Superintendent of Schools
South Portland School Department