About 40 parents, students, staff and community members filled Ava Roasteria in downtown Beaverton on Tuesday, Sept. 22, for Superintendent Tony Smith's first "Common Grounds" coffee chat.

The hour marked Smith's earliest open forum with residents since he took over Oregon's second-largest school district on July 1. Six topics dominated the conversation, according to the district: class sizes amid continuing enrollment decline, the structural deficit in the district's budget, student safety, equity and inclusion, volunteer opportunities in schools and the use of technology in student learning.

Ava Roasteria hosted the event and provided coffee for participants.

The budget topic connects to broader district finances. The Beaverton School Board adopted its 2026–2027 budget at a June 9 meeting after a public hearing, acknowledging what the district called pressing financial challenges. No specific deficit figure has been made public.

Smith, who spent nearly 20 years at Denver Public Schools before coming to Beaverton, has called his early months a "look, listen and learn" phase. In a Sept. 1 interview with the Beaverton Valley Times, he said community members "also all recognize this is a different day, and challenges exist and they want us to be transparent. They want us to be thoughtful."

In the district's recap of the Sept. 22 event, Smith said: "Thank you for showing up, sharing your voice and helping make our first Common Grounds a great start."

The district said attendees thanked Smith for holding the series and for listening. Smith added that he looks forward to continuing the conversations.

Smith oversees 35,703 students across 53 schools. The enrollment figure, reported by the Beaverton Valley Times as of Aug. 26, was preliminary and could shift as official counts finalize.

The next Common Grounds session is scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 22, from noon to 1 p.m. at Fly Chai in downtown Beaverton. Residents can also submit questions through the "Dr. Smith Is Listening" page on the district's website.