News
Meet Rachel Roberts, GIS Analyst
Where are you from and where do you live now? I grew up in Aiea, Hawaii, which is about 20 minutes outside of Honolulu. I decided to trade my flip-flops for rain gear and move to the “mainland” to attend college at the University of Washington in Seattle. Shortly after graduating, I was hired by…
Jenny AxelrodMeet Gavin Jaravata, GIS Technician
Where are you from and where do you live now? I grew up in a small unincorporated area called Silverdale in Washington State. I crossed the Puget Sound to go to college in Seattle and decided to stay after graduating. What do you do at FLO? I’m a GIS technician working in the local government…
Ruth McColly, GISPWhat You Need to Know About Student Enrollment Forecasting
Student enrollment forecasts are critically important to all long-term planning efforts. They inform everything from staffing to school capacity planning. But how much do you really know about the forecasts you’re using? Here are the four things you need to know about student enrollment forecasting (no demography degree required!) to be the most strategic school…
Alex BraschSpatial Data Management Best Practices While Working Remote: What Local Governments Need to Know
The COVID-19 pandemic has forced an unprecedented number of local government employees to work from home. While very little is known about when they will be able to return to a physical workplace on a consistent basis, one thing is certain: the health of our communities depends on the vital services local governments provide. To…
Grant Herbert, GISPResults for "School Districts"
Student enrollment forecasts are critically important to all long-term planning efforts. They inform everything from staffing to school capacity planning. But how much do you really know about the forecasts you’re using? Here are the four...
Alex BraschStudent enrollment is the foundation of school planning, no matter a school district’s size. In this blog post, we draw back the curtain on our enrollment forecasting process, so you can learn what enrollment forecasting is and why...
Tyler VickEnrollment projections are the building blocks of effective school district planning. Only with detailed and accurate projections are districts able to site schools in the best possible location, future-proof school attendance area boundaries,...
Tyler VickJoin us for a presentation on the fundamentals of successful school district planning activities, focusing on enrollment forecasting, school siting, and boundary reviews. We will cover how to plan for these activities, how to do them, and why...
Jerry OelerichAttendance area boundary updates are just like a "giant sudoku puzzle" as one Bend-La Pine Schools boundary update committee member recently put it. I couldn't agree more. Boundary updates are also complex, lengthy, and can be quite...
Tyler VickCongratulations to North Clackamas School District on the new boundaries! It’s another boundary review success! After many months of hard work on the part of District staff and community members, the North Clackamas School Board approved new...
Jenny AxelrodAt some point during the year, most school districts will fall into one of these three areas: Thinking about planning a bond measure Attempting to pass a bond Trying make the most of the bond they just passed No matter which...
Tyler VickAre you using the best possible data and analytics for school district planning? Here are three essential tools you can use to make more confident, data-driven planning decisions. 1. Accurate student enrollment forecasting, by...
Tyler VickWelcome to the third and final part of our series on updating school attendance boundaries. As we covered in posts one and two, a successful boundary update is both data-driven and consensus-based. In other words, it’s made up of accurate...
Alex BraschWelcome to part two of our three-part series on school attendance area boundary reviews, where we’re taking a look at how school districts can successfully update boundaries with a consensus-based and data-driven approach. If you haven’t...
Tyler VickSchool may be out for the summer, but for district leaders, the work continues. Many superintendents, assistant superintendents, and business managers will spend the summer break planning for future enrollment growth, or developing strategies...
Jenny AxelrodThe FLO team is attending the Washington Association of School Business Officials' Annual Conference this week, where we've been hearing from school districts across the state about their need for more in-depth and easy-to-access student...
Jenny AxelrodThe race is on to manage growth for many school districts, as the populations of cities and towns across the Northwest continue to rise. In just the past 30 days, more than 10 school districts in Oregon and Washington have been featured in...
Jenny AxelrodCongratulations to Washougal School District! The School Board unanimously voted to approve new elementary and middle school boundaries, after a six-week boundary review process lead by the FLO team. We worked closely with district...
Alex BraschLast week the FLO team attended the Oregon School Boards Association Conference in Portland and this week we'll be heading to the Washington State School Directors' Association Conference in Spokane. We're using these opportunities to talk...
Tyler VickWe recently wrapped up the boundary review process for Central Valley School District and are happy to announce the approval of 13 new elementary school boundaries. This approval is the result of eight weeks of facilitated committee meetings,...
Jenny AxelrodToday we're exhibiting at the Washington Association of School Business Officials (WASBO) Conference in Tacoma. Stop by booth 25 in the main exhibit hall and talk to us about our geographic approach to student enrollment forecasting and...
Leora WernerFor the past two months, our team has been engaged with Central Valley School District administration, parents, and community members to conduct a comprehensive boundary review of elementary and a subset of middle school attendance areas. To...
Jenny AxelrodWe've been assisting school districts by preparing student enrollment forecasts in an effort to help them successfully plan for the future. Our unique approach goes beyond traditional enrollment forecasting by providing insight into the...
Leora WernerWe are excited to be supporting Tacoma Public School's boundary review process by providing community engagement maps and a custom web mapping application to support on-the-fly scenario modeling during boundary review committee...
Leora WernerThe Washington State School Directors’ Association (WSSDA) annual conference is right around the corner. The annual event is the largest gathering of education policymakers in the state of Washington and a place where school directors and...
Tyler VickThe demographics of a school district drive facility needs. Its student population, composition, and distribution are tied to the larger geography in which the District is located. As these factors shift, a District must respond to both...
Tyler VickWe’re excited to be featured in a recent article by the Oregon Daily Journal of Commerce. The article touches on some of our latest work with school districts, utilities, and area businesses. Check it out...
Tyler VickWe recently completed a land use analysis for Bellingham Public Schools in Washington in order to assess its 10-year student enrollment projections within the geographical context of the District’s future land use. The goal of the land use...
Tyler Vick