Council demands PPS halt closures

All 12 Portland city councilors signed a letter Friday urging Portland Public Schools to pause its plan to close up to 14 schools. Council members Tiffany Koyama Lane and Elana Pirtle-Guiney addressed the district board and Superintendent Kimberlee Armstrong, asking them to pause and revise the timeline for final decisions.

The letter requests that the district share specific details regarding financial, instructional, transportation, and neighborhood impacts before proceeding. The signatories argue that the city’s investments in housing, community centers, and safe streets depend on the availability of strong, accessible public schools.

Portland Public Schools announced two closure scenarios on Oct. 5, citing an 11% drop in enrollment since the 2019-20 school year. The district is Oregon’s largest, and the proposals include turning several K-8 schools into elementary schools and relocating dual-language programs. Since the announcement, students, parents, and teachers have organized rallies and sent letters opposing the changes.

Koyama Lane, a Portland teacher, has campaigned against the closures for weeks. She stated in an Instagram post two days ago that the council should use its platform to engage the community and use data wisely for long-term outcomes. She aims to get questions answered and bring stakeholders together.

Elected officials beyond the city limits have also weighed in. Gov. Tina Kotek sent a letter earlier this month asking school officials to take the time to get the process right. State Sen. Christine Drazan, a Republican gubernatorial candidate, released a video on Friday featuring a parent whose daughter plans to attend Sellwood Middle School. Sellwood is one of the schools proposed for closure.

In the video, Drazan promised to work across party lines to keep local neighborhood schools open. She told parents to keep fighting for a delay. Meanwhile, City Council member Mitch Green filed an emergency resolution earlier this week to save public schools. The measure failed to get the nine votes needed for the agenda.

Green’s chief of staff, Maria Sipin, said Green plans to introduce a similar resolution urging the state to prioritize funding for Portland schools. Green noted in an Instagram post from a day ago that more than 1,000 community members contacted the council asking for a pause. Portland projects a $65 million deficit for next year’s budget, while Salem-Keizer Public Schools projects a $46 million gap. District leaders say closures help stretch limited funding, though it is unclear if state money would prevent them.