Portland Public Schools will reveal school closure proposals Monday evening. Parents, teachers and school staff are on pins and needles

Key Points:

• Portland Public Schools (PPS) will publicly share proposed scenarios for closing up to 14 schools, adjusting attendance boundaries, and shifting programs amid declining enrollment and rising costs, with a school board meeting scheduled for Tuesday night.
• The district has lost approximately 6,000 students since 2019 and currently serves about 42,000 students in the same number of aging buildings, with projections indicating a further decline of 5,200 students by 2035.
• Superintendent Kimberlee Armstrong indicated closures could range from 15 to 20 schools, but final decisions depend on school board approval, funding uncertainties, and community feedback over the next several weeks.
• The district aims to consolidate resources to provide full-time librarians, arts, and PE teachers at schools, and expand middle school course offerings, though concerns remain about potential job losses and the impact on enrollment.
• The Portland Association of Teachers has expressed opposition to closures, questioning the district’s efforts to retain students and warning that school closures might worsen enrollment declines.