Portland Public Schools’ top leader is “leaning into” a school closure plan that would close three fewer schools than the scenario that would close 14.

That’s what Superintendent Kimberlee Armstrong told OPB Think Out Loud host Dave Miller on Friday.

“B’s magnitude and complexity of change isn’t as great as Scenario A,” Armstrong said, “but it still gives the opportunity to have 70% of our students or above in schools that are sustainable.”

Oregon’s largest school district is at the beginning of a school consolidation process. After years of declining enrollment, PPS announced plans last week to close up to 14 schools beginning next fall. The plans have been met with pushback and questions from school communities, with a packed house at last week’s school board meeting and strong attendance at community engagement events this week.

Students, parents and staff are asking the district to slow down on its “rightsizing” process. Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek jumped into the conversation this week, sending a letter to district leaders suggesting they take their time “to get this right.”

On “Think Out Loud,” Superintendent Armstrong said she doesn’t understand concerns about the “pace” of the process, noting that conversations have been ongoing since April.

When asked about proposal “C,” which would mean doing nothing, she said that’s not going to be a permanent option; the district has to do something.

“I’m not into delaying the inevitable,” she said.

Earlier this week, concerned parents called into Think Out Loud to ask board chair Eddie Wang about the process. Armstrong said she wants to keep hearing from families in this feedback stage of the process. Engagement sessions continue Saturday morning in Northeast Portland.

Portland schools board chair hears from parents on school closure plan

“We’re wanting families to show up and share their concerns, give their ideas,” Armstrong said. “The whole purpose of getting the scenarios out is so that our family, our communities, and our staff can react to it.”

But Armstrong pushed back on some of those concerns, including doubts about the accuracy of the district’s enrollment data. While Armstrong said there’s been “fluctuation” in specific school enrollment numbers, she said she trusts Portland State University’s data and projections.

Another point of contention in the district’s process is what constitutes a “well-resourced” or “sustainable” school. PPS officials have cited a June report from Havala Hanson and self-described “rightsizing consultant” Terrance Green to explain the minimum school sizes of 360 students for elementary and 500 students for middle school. According to PPS, these “sustainability thresholds” mean students will have art, music, and library classes available.

But these closure scenarios wouldn’t get every school to a “sustainable” level. About a quarter of students would still be in schools with enrollment numbers under the “sustainability threshold.”

Armstrong says once schools are “stabilized,” resources can move around. She added that district officials will share a staffing plan when her recommended proposal is shared with the school board next month.

Hanging over all of these conversations is the effect large-scale school closures will have on families. Some have warned that families will leave PPS because of this “rightsizing” process, leading to further declining enrollment. When asked about this, Armstrong said the district built in a “percentage of loss,” but did not say much more.

“I don’t think it will be as significant as people are saying,” Armstrong said.

Some families have asked why PPS hasn’t done more to recruit families who have left the district. According to a PPS enrollment forecast from PSU’s Population Research Center, 74% of kindergarten students in the PPS district area attend public school. That’s up from a low of 68% in fall 2020.

PPS is far from the only school district considering school closures. Oregon’s second largest district, Salem-Keizer, announced plans last week to close six elementary schools. Beaverton and Medford leaders are beginning similar conversations. Nationally, the Los Angeles Unified School District is planning a yearlong process to “build stronger schools together.”

News Source : https://www.opb.org/article/2026/10/16/portland-superintendent-scenario-b-school-closure-plans/