Portland Public Schools Superintendent Kimberlee Armstrong introduces a school closure proposal during a Portland Public School Board meeting about closing up to 14 schools, at Dr. Matthew Prophet Education Center in Portland, Ore., on Oct. 6, 2026.
Eli Imadali / OPB
The Portland Public Schools proposal to close up to 14 schools is getting a lot of pushback. Earlier this week, School Board Chair Eddie Wang answered questions from parents who would be affected. He emphasized that even though the district has had to make a series of significant cuts over the last several years, the closures would not be helping fill a budget gap. Instead, they are aimed at better serving more students in fewer schools with the district’s limited funds.
As first reported by The Oregonian/OregonLive, Gov. Kotek sent a letter to Armstrong and Wang Tuesday, urging them to “take the necessary time” for families to understand and give feedback on the plans. In a statement, a spokesperson said the district is holding regular sessions for public feedback in the coming weeks and is “expanding those efforts to give families, students and staff additional opportunities to share their perspectives.” The board vote on the school closures plan is currently scheduled for mid-December.
We talk with PPS Superintendent Kimberlee Armstrong about the plans for school closures, the data used to formulate them, and how she’s responding to the concerns of parents, students and staff.
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