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Eugene School District 4J

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ECCO Program Building

Photo of ECCO school building with flowers in foreground

ECCO alternative high school education program relocated from the Lane Community College main campus to the downtown area during the summer of 2019. 

After considering several potential sites, the district decided to build a new school building behind the 4J Education Center, the district office building at 200 N. Monroe St. 4J determined this location was the most accessible for students from across the district who enroll in the program. The district contracted Modern Building Systems to erect a high-quality pre-fabricated building to serve as ECCO’s new home, which is also located next to the Owen Rose Garden.

The new building is sized to fit ECCO’s 100–125 students, with six classrooms, a childcare room, support areas, school office space and a common area. The alternative high school program was housed at Lane Community College for six years until district’s lease agreement expired at the end of the 2018–19 school year. ECCO will continues serving students who find a separate alternative high school setting the best fit for their academic success.

Program Move: Chinese Immersion to Kennedy

The district relocated Chinese Immersion to Kennedy Middle School in the fall of 2021, where the program will continue to grow to grades K–8. When the program grows to the high school level, grades 9–12 will be located at nearby Churchill High School.

The district hired Bridgeway Contracting LLC to renovate areas at Kennedy to accomodate Chinese Immersion. They converted middle school spaces to provide elementary classrooms, added new classroom sinks, installed a new playground, added security fencing, and completed restroom improvements to accommodate younger, smaller elementary students.

The Chinese Immersion Elementary School had been co-located with Family School at the former Crest Drive school site for its first few years, with a plan to later move some or all of the elementary grades to another site and continue the language immersion program through middle and high school at Kennedy Middle School and Churchill High School.

4J’s Mandarin Chinese immersion program is the district’s fifth language immersion program and the first to be located in the Churchill region. The Chinese Immersion school opened in 2017 with grades K–1, one classroom for each grade, and is growing by one grade each year to become a K–12 program.

Program Moves: Willard Swing School

The district has developed the grounds of the former Willard Elementary School as a temporary school site (“swing school”), which has now been home to three schools since its opening in the fall of 2020.

During the 2019–20 school year, the district renovated the site, furbishing its old gym, removing some portions of the old school building and adding classrooms – both as pre-fabricated building space and some modular buildings.

Students of both Edison and Camas Ridge elementary schools temporarily moved to Willard, each for two years, as construction of their new school buildings occurred in 2020-2022 and 2022-2024, respectively. In the fall of 2024, the Willard site became home to Yujin Gakuen Japanese Immersion Elementary School as the district develops a long-term plan for the future of that program.

Video Cameras

School safety is a top priority for Eugene School District 4J and for our community. Recent 4J school bond measures overwhelmingly approved by voters have included funding for school safety and security among many other important capital improvements.

A key school security enhancement funded by the 2013 bond measure was installing security video camera systems in schools and other district buildings. Cameras were installed over the 2018–19, 2019–20 and 2020–21 school years and are in place now at all 4J schools.

The following are some frequently asked questions about school security cameras.

  • What is the funding for the school camera systems? 

    Installing security video camera systems in schools and other district buildings was a key school security enhancement planned and funded by the 2013 bond measure.

    When were the cameras installed?

    The cameras were installed in high schools and middle schools starting in early 2019 and in elementary schools during the 2019–20 school year. The final schools’ camera systems came online in 2020.

    Where are the cameras placed?

    Cameras are placed for security purposes in multiple locations at each school, particularly in areas where there is a high volume of traffic or potential for concern, such as hallways, gymnasiums, cafeterias and school exteriors. Cameras are not placed in classrooms or in areas such as restrooms or locker rooms.

    When are the cameras operating?

    The cameras provide an extra set of eyes for student safety and school security, both during the school day and after hours and overnight. Video cameras are in operation 24 hours a day, but are not monitored all the time.

    Will the cameras be monitored?

    Video will not be continuously monitored in real-time. More commonly, recordings of a specific location and time will be reviewed after an incident or concern is reported. The cameras do not use facial recognition technology.

    Are video recordings secure?

    Yes. Access to the security camera system is restricted to selected personnel such as school administrators, campus monitors, and the district’s public safety office, and only for legitimate purposes. Archived recordings are stored securely. The district will comply with all applicable board policy and state and federal laws related to student records and video camera use.

    How long is recorded video kept?

    24-hour video coverage is automatically erased after 30 days. Pertinent video recordings may be saved and become a part of a student’s educational record or a district investigation file. When appropriate, video recordings may be shared with law enforcement.

    Did the school district have cameras before?

    Previously, the district had some cameras at specific sites but did not have a coordinated video camera system in place across the district. The addition of a coordinated video camera system at all schools will add an extra set of eyes and an extra layer of security for our students and schools.