An annual forecast for Portland Public Schools, conducted by the Population Research Center at Portland State University, projects enrollment will continue to decline at the district through the 2034–35 school year. That matters for the district’s budget because PPS gets state funding for each student it reports.
The forecast found the district faces two challenges: Birth rate in the Portland area is declining, and fewer families are choosing to enroll their students in PPS. In March, PSU demographer Dr. Ethan Sharygin told WW his forecasts were based on an assumption that the status quo would continue.
But the projections also tell a broader story about Portland, says one of the city’s top pollsters, John Horvick, who runs DHM Research…