Advocating for intentional investment in neighborhood schools in Portland Public Schools (PPS).
Make our neighborhood schools places where families choose to be.
Every child in our district deserves a world-class education right around the corner. As we deepen the discussion around rightsizing, we are calling on our PPS Board to intentionally invest in our neighborhood schools
Source: Portland Public Schools (PPS) District Area Schools Map
When we underinvest in community schools, we don’t just lose students; we lose the fabric of our neighborhoods. Strong local schools create vibrant, interconnected communities. Here is what happens when we prioritize investing locally:
Stronger Community Bonds: Neighborhood schools act as community hubs where parents, neighbors, and local businesses naturally connect and support one another.
Less Commuting, More Living: Shorter commute times mean safer streets, lower transportation costs for the district, and more time for kids to be kids.
Equity Across the District: Every zip code deserves a well-funded school with robust programming, up-to-date technology, and passionate educators.
Why Neighborhood Schools Matter.
Neighborhood schools are not failing, but they are under-resourced.
We want to change that!
The district can do more to ensure that the best choice is always the closest choice.
Neighborhood schools already are the best choice, but with a lack of focus on neighborhood schools and the overinvestment in schools that take families out of their neighborhoods creates the impression that neighborhood schools are failing.
“Instead of asking how to strengthen the public schools families already rely on, federal policy* has too often treated choice as an exit strategy that moves dollars out of neighborhood schools rather than investing in the kinds of public options that make those schools stronger.
Choice has been framed not as a way to make much needed improvements to public education, but as a way to abandon it."
— Kayla Patrick from The Century Foundation
*We would also add state and district policies as well.
Help us advocate for our neighborhood schools.
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