Fir Grove Elementary School in Roseburg will close at the end of the 2026-27 school year, with students moving to other schools in the district.
The Roseburg School Board approved the closure Wednesday. District officials say declining enrollment, rising costs and aging facilities make the change necessary.
Fir Grove, built in 1960, faces an estimated $8.5 million in maintenance, repairs and replacement of existing building systems over the next 10 years. District enrollment has declined by nearly 11% since the 2016-17 school year.
Fewer than 200 students attend Fir Grove, which operates at just over half its capacity. The district has seven other elementary schools.
Superintendent Jared Cordon said at the school board meeting that having only one classroom at each grade level complicates things.
"Our teams and our staff will consistently say this: we do better together. We do better when we partner together. We can think together. We're more malleable and mobile that way. We can help support each other," he said. "One can be a lonely number on a grade level team."
The district estimates the closure could save about $1.3 million a year, depending on staffing decisions.
"It's not like we have been fiscally irresponsible," Board Chair Andrea Miner said. "Quite contrary, we have not been, and we're trying to remain fiscally responsible, so there's no joy in this."
Cordon said he considered other options before recommending Fir Grove's closure. He said delaying the decision further would be expensive and complicate planning.
"Consolidation will not eliminate the financial challenges facing Roseburg Schools," a district report reads.
The report says fewer campuses would allow the district to concentrate resources and reduce cuts that might otherwise affect programs, staffing and student needs.
NRToday has reported on families' concerns about losing the school.
Roseburg's schools face about $116 million in anticipated maintenance over the next decade. District leaders said consolidation is one part of a broader approach to address the maintenance backlog and better align with current enrollment, according to a school statement.
School districts across Oregon face similar pressures. Portland and Salem-Keizer have announced proposals to close schools. Tigard-Tualatin recently announced the closure of an elementary school, while Medford is also considering closures.
In the coming months, Roseburg will develop a transition plan for Fir Grove, including transportation and other supports for families.
The district previously closed Rose Elementary School in 2013.
