In our district newsletter that came out earlier this week, Superintendent Ed Hatzenbeler foreshadowed some changes that are coming in the next school year. One of which was changing Orting Primary School from a kindergarten through 3rd grade school to a kindergarten through 4th grade school. This is so we can maximize learning and minimize disruption later.

 

Although we cannot build two equal-sized elementary schools with our current facilities, we are working to identify boundaries that will allow us to do so with new construction. To help us transition, next year OPS will begin serving 4th grade and return to their elementary roots. The following year, those students will roll up to 5th grade and OPS will be a full kindergarten through 5th grade school for the 2024-25 school year.

 

Ptarmigan Ridge Elementary will be a larger school as it has more space, but eventually, when a new elementary opens, the schools will be balanced. We will send more information about the identified boundary in the coming weeks and will have placement decisions in the families’ hands prior to the end of the school year. We believe a consistent, predictable way of determining school enrollment will be better for our families. However, even with boundaries, families will have the ability to request a waiver to the school as daycare, siblings, proximity and other factors play into school requests.