As the Portland School Board considers closing as many as 20 elementary, K-8 and middle schools, each of its seven members has asked Portland Public Schools to consider various factors as it determines which buildings go on the chopping block. Yet all have called on the district to prioritize equity in its process.
There’s a reason they share that concern: School districts nationwide have often shuttered low-income schools and schools that serve higher percentages of students of color.
Data PPS presented to the board Tuesday indicates that, indeed, its Title I schools largely have lower enrollments than schools that draw from wealthier families. Title I schools—which have a higher share of families receiving government assistance—have struggled to sustain the enrollment thresholds that the district says are required for robust programming (360 students or more for elementary and 500 or more for middle schools)…