4J Votes to Co-locate Camas Ridge and Family School Under New Principal

Eugene School District 4J’s board voted unanimously to co-locate Family School into the Camas Ridge building and to place the combined campus under a single, new principal beginning with the 2026-27 school year. District officials framed the move as a budget-driven reorganization intended to close a projected $30 million shortfall for 2026-27 and to avoid capital costs at Family School’s current site.

The district estimates the co-location will produce about $160,000 in reduced staffing costs for 2026-27 and will spare the district roughly $1.1 million in maintenance and capital work that would have been required at 155 Crest Drive, the former Crest Drive Elementary where Family School currently sits. Camas Ridge currently enrolls just over 250 students in a 450-student capacity building, giving the site room to absorb Family School classrooms, district materials say.

The decision prompted visible local reaction in the days before and after the Feb. 4 vote. A small group of Camas Ridge parents gathered Feb. 3 at the corner of 30th Avenue and Harris Street with signs reading “honk for Hobie,” receiving intermittent beeps from passing cars as they advocated for Camas Ridge principal Dr. Hobie Blackhorn. Family School supporters at the board meeting reacted emotionally after the motion passed; some attendees wiped away tears. Former Family School parent Joey Carlson told the board, “Both programs losing their principals is a dire loss for both programs. There has been testimony from both schools about how well their school performs for their students, and everyone feels apprehensive about losing their administrator.”

Superintendent Miriam Mickelson has repeatedly described leadership change as part of creating a “fresh start.” Mickelson wrote, “Both schools have dedicated leaders who have been valued partners to families. However, from the beginning, my intention has been to create a fresh start if co-location moves forward. I do not want the co-located campus to appear to favor one program over the other.” She also warned that “if the school board approves the co-location recommendation. In that case, Dr. (Hobie) Blackhorn would not serve as principal for Camas Ridge and Family School in 2026-27. Neither would Family School Principal Teresa Martindale.” At a Jan. 21 board meeting Mickelson added, “That allows, or that helps, ensure that neither school’s existing culture or practice or priorities are seen as being favored, and it helps build trust and a sense of fairness from the outset.” Some Camas Ridge families voiced concern about transparency and representation; Mayra Anaya said, “We’re upset at the lack of transparency that the district has given us and the lack of BIPOC representation that our kids are going to have.”

Operational steps are already laid out. District staff and contractors will pack and move Family School classrooms during summer 2026 so spaces are ready in August 2026, and the district will form a transition committee with staff and families from both schools. The district plans to assign the new principal by July 1, 2026, and will notify families of leadership developments and participation opportunities.

For Lane County families, the immediate effect is clearer logistics and an uncertain personnel picture: the building shift will avoid near-term capital bills and produce modest staffing savings, but leadership and representation questions remain unresolved until the district names the new principal and the transition committee sets integration plans. What to watch next: who the district selects by July 1 and how the transition committee addresses program schedules, staffing and community concerns.