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WHERE DID ALL THE KIDS GO?
Portland Public Schools told the community this week they’re planning on closing up to 14 schools due to declining enrollment, prompting backlash from parents and students who are furious about the disruption and displacement.
But looking at the numbers, it seems Portland doesn’t have much of a choice.
The school system has lost 6,000 students since 2018, and they expect another 3,400 or so to disappear by 2031.
Portland isn’t the only school district confronting this problem. The Washington Post reports that public schools are closing around the country, partially due to declining birth rates.
Portland is a bit more unique, though, in why enrollment is declining so rapidly.
The city is suffering from a problem of its own creation: families are fleeing, and the ones who stay are pulling their kids out of the public school system.
In other words, families aren’t keen to stay in a city that has become the national poster child for crime, disorder, and progressive governance gone too far.