PPS names 14 schools that could close
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Portland Public Schools on Monday outlined plans that could see as many as 14 schools close as the district shrinks its footprint amid falling enrollment and budget pressure.
Why it matters: After months of discussion, the list marks the first concrete details on how the state's largest school district could address changing demographic and financial realities.
- Monday's list is not final. District officials plan listening sessions across Portland in the coming months, with a final vote slated for December.
The latest: The list of potential closures released Monday lays out two scenarios.
- Scenario A would see Maplewood, Stephenson, Irvington, Rose City Park, Buckman, Creston, Marysville, Woodmere, Lewis, Beach, James John, Peninsula and Sabin elementary schools, as well as Sellwood Middle School, shut down and their students moved to other schools.
Scenario B would spare Stephenson, Rose City Park and Lewis from that closure list.
- Both options would require dozens of boundary changes that would affect all schools, moving a dozen or more programs and reconfiguring some K-8 schools.
- The board will also consider deferring the decision altogether, though they "would need to revisit school closures and other changes in a future year," the district said in a news release.
By the numbers: The district's headcount has fallen from around 49,000 in 2019 to roughly 43,000 last year, per KPTV, a drop of more than 12%.
- PPS has also faced sizable budget shortfalls for several years.
Between the lines: Shrinking kindergarten class sizes and Oregon's falling birth rate show the problem is more than just a blip, Ethan Sharygin, director of Portland State University's Population Research Center, told KPTV.
What they're saying: Superintendent Kimberlee Armstrong acknowledged the cuts would be painful for many families, but said in a statement they were necessary to "give every student access to strong programs, stable staffing and the opportunities and support they deserve."
What you're saying: Do you have a student at one of the schools on the list? How are these potential closures sitting with you?
- Email us your thoughts. We may use your response in a future story.