Portland Public Schools could close five to 10 of its 74 elementary, K–8, middle, and alternative schools by the start of the 2027–28 academic year, Superintendent Dr. Kimberlee Armstrong said at a Tuesday morning press conference.
In an early timeline presented to the Portland School Board, the district plans to engage families through spring, summer and fall before Armstrong makes her recommendations on a list by late fall 2026. The School Board will need to approve or modify that recommendation by the end of the year, and the district will iron out transition processes through the first half of 2027.
The consolidations come as PPS has seen its enrollment decline 12% from 48,708 in the 2018–19 school year to 42,622 in the current academic year. Projections indicate enrollment could fall another 12% by the 2035–36 academic year…