Portland Facing School Closures, Like Seattle–Dropping Enrollments

According to a study done by Portland State University, student enrollments in Portland, OR Public Schools dropped six percent between 2019 and 2023. Now, some area districts are looking at closures.

   It is not just Portland, but the metro area as well.

According to reports from area districts, as well as Axios,  The West Linn-Wilsonville School District, which is a suburb area southwest of Portland, has three schools that are targeted to be closed. They include Bolton, Stafford, and Cedaroak Park which are primary or elementary schools. Each has 350 students or less, and education officials say they prefer at least 400 students per school. up to 550.

A $10 million dollar deficit is also factoring into the decision. The PSU report indicates  about 20 of Portland's 45 elementary schools will have 350 students or fewer during this and the next school year.

In Beaverton, an attempt was made to close four elementary schools in favor of what officials called a "mega" school, but the response from parents was loud and fierce and the plan was, at least for now, dropped.

Much like schools in WA and around the country, Federal education funding is provided based on student enrollments. Other types of supplemental funding can also depend on enrollment levels.  Fewer students means less funding, which often drives up deficits, then the cycle repeats itself.

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Seattle is facing the same crisis, except its deficits are significantly larger than Portland's.  According to reports from the National Center for Educational Statistics, over 5,000 schools (a mix of elementary, middle, and high schools) across the country closed between 2017 and 2023.  The closures were spread out across urban, residential, and rural areas.

In WA and OR, the erosion began, although at a lesser degree, prior to COVID, but the pandemic increased the drop in student numbers dramatically for public schools.