As Portland Public Schools braces for a difficult fall that will be marked by a contentious school closure talks, a 150-page report it commissioned outlines impacts from its most recent enrollment balancing attempt among Southeast Portland schools.
The report, which will be presented to the Portland School Board on Tuesday, is authored by Dr. Terrance Green, an associate professor of education and leadership at the University of Texas at Austin, and Dr. Havala Hanson, a local quantitative education researcher. It examines the aftermath of the Southeast Guiding Coalition, or SEGC, a multiyear effort to redraw boundaries and even out resources in elementary, K–8 and middle schools in Southeast Portland, culminating in a number of changes in the 2023–24 school year.
The evaluation’s authors indicate the intention of the report is not to justify school closures, but to help the district better understand how rightsizing decisions might affect students, families, staff and school administration…