Hundreds Watch As PPS Committee Confronts Overcrowded Schools

By Rob Manning (OPB)
Portland, Oregon Jan. 15, 2016 5:35 a.m.

A few hundred parents and students packed a Portland Public Schools meeting Thursday night, mostly to watch an advisory committee debate changing school boundaries.

The latest changes for the district’s west side would relieve overcrowded elementary schools by shifting boundaries.

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Hundreds of Portland parents packed a meeting of the District-wide Boundary Review Advisory Committee Thursday night. Parents in blue shirts were from Ainsworth Elementary School, which would have boundary changes under the latest proposal. Those in yellow shirts represented Skyline K-8, which is likely being spared major changes.

Hundreds of Portland parents packed a meeting of the District-wide Boundary Review Advisory Committee Thursday night. Parents in blue shirts were from Ainsworth Elementary School, which would have boundary changes under the latest proposal. Those in yellow shirts represented Skyline K-8, which is likely being spared major changes.

Rob Manning / OPB

But they don't fix overcrowding at Lincoln High School, argued committee member and teacher, Kim Wilson.

"What are we going to do for Lincoln? I don't know," Wilson said. "We need to do something. I'm hearing from my colleagues that it's a crisis level, and I haven't heard any solutions that offer significant change. I think that the west-side movement was a start."

The few parents who were given time to speak said the proposed changes may already be too disruptive and would fall disproportionately on low-income students.

The west side changes are intended to take effect this fall. East side changes are slated for fall 2017, though some committee members and parents think they should begin sooner.

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