Portland Public Schools (PPS) Superintendent Kimberlee Armstrong recommended a revised rightsizing plan on Friday, November 14, 2026, that would close and consolidate ten elementary schools over the next two years. The new proposal trims an earlier plan that called for up to 14 closures, responding to a month of public opposition.
According to KPTV, the revised schedule calls for five schools to close in the fall of 2027 – Beach, Peninsula, Sabin, Creston and Buckman – with students reassigned to nearby schools such as Chief Joseph, Rosa Parks, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Atkinson and Abernethy. The plan also merges Beverly Cleary and Irvington elementary schools for a year while the Beverly Cleary building undergoes seismic reinforcement.
A second wave of five closures is slated for fall 2028, affecting Rose City Park, Lewis, Marysville, Woodmere and the merged Irvington‑Beverly Cleary campus. The district said the changes aim to address a projected $65 million deficit for the 2027‑28 school year, declining enrollment, rising operating costs and growing pension obligations. While the plan does not eliminate the deficit, PPS officials highlighted that $171.8 million in budget reductions have already been made since the 2023‑24 school year.
In addition to school closures, the district will convert six K‑8 schools – Beverly Cleary, César Chávez, Faubion, Laurelhurst, Sunnyside and Vernon – to K‑5 models in 2027, with Bridger K‑8 following in 2028. Dual‑language immersion programs will be consolidated into regional hubs, and Mandarin immersion pathways will be reduced from three to two, preserving the total number of seats.
Board members will vote on the revised recommendation on December 15, after further public input, according to the same KPTV report.
On the same day, the PPS Board of Education approved an outside investigation into allegations that district leaders, including Superintendent Armstrong, used the encrypted Signal app for official business. The move follows a Willamette Week report that claimed images showed the “disappearing message” feature being used for district matters.
Board Chair Eddie Wang said the board wants to determine whether any messages constitute public records and whether they can be recovered, noting that state law treats unarchived district business as a crime. The investigation, conducted by an independent legal team, must deliver findings by December 11, with results to be released after the board is briefed.
Both actions reflect PPS’s effort to balance fiscal responsibility with transparency and community involvement. The revised school‑closure plan attempts to align resources with enrollment trends while preserving key programs, and the Signal probe seeks to ensure compliance with public‑record statutes.
What’s next: The board will consider the revised closure recommendation on Dec. 15, and the independent legal team will report its Signal‑app findings by Dec. 11. PPS has pledged to provide transition support for affected students and to keep the public informed as both processes move forward.
