--- title: "DRAFT Rightsizing Guiding Principles (BoardBook)" source_url: "https://meetings.boardbook.org/Documents/FileViewerOrPublic/915?file=3997246" linked_from: "https://www.pps.net/about/portland-public-schools-information/rightsize/rightsizing-presentations" retrieved: 2026-10-12 document_type: "PDF (meetings.boardbook.org)" page_count: 3 sha256: 99dea26a7bff702c95b7db187488db07e27c695a48c2ad9b11936ad087902a3b extraction_method: "PyMuPDF 1.28.2 page.get_text(text) in content order; tables via page.find_tables(); for PDFs of 20 pages or fewer a second row-wise rendering per page via pdfplumber; no OCR" pdf_metadata_title: "Resolution # - Rightsizing Guiding Principles" download_url: "https://meetings.boardbook.org/Documents/DownloadPDF/3997246?org=915" --- # DRAFT Rightsizing Guiding Principles (BoardBook) Unofficial text extraction of a public PPS document for accessibility and research. May contain extraction errors; consult the original at https://meetings.boardbook.org/Documents/FileViewerOrPublic/915?file=3997246. ## Page 1 DRAFT RESOLUTION No. # Resolution Adopting Guiding Principles and Workplan in the Rightsizing Process for Portland Public Schools RECITALS A.​ Whereas Portland Public Schools (PPS) is committed to well-resourced sustainable schools so that every PPS student has equitable access to a robust and high-quality educational experience; B.​ Whereas the Student Assignment to Neighborhood Schools Policy 4.10.045-P directs the Superintendent to regularly monitor enrollment, program demand and demographic trends; C.​ Whereas PPS enrollment has declined steadily for the past five years and is forecast to continue to decline for at least the next nine years. At the same time, our facilities are aging and costs have increased, forcing resource strains across schools; D.​ Whereas on April 14, 2026, the Board of Directors adopted Resolution 7296 directing the Superintendent to launch the Growing Great Schools districtwide rightsizing process to consider school and program consolidations, boundary adjustment, special program changes, and grade reconfigurations; E.​ Whereas the Board finds it desirable to adopt Guiding Principles to ensure that the districtwide rightsizing process results in well-resourced, sustainable schools and equitable access for all students; and F.​ Whereas the Board finds it desirable to adopt a Workplan for the districtwide rightsizing process that ensures that students, families, and community, as well as financial transparency and stewardship of district resources, are at the forefront of rightsizing decisions. RESOLUTION 1. Now, therefore, the Board of Directors hereby adopts the districtwide rightsizing Guiding Principles and Workplan, attached as Exhibit 1 hereto. 2. The Board directs the Superintendent to oversee and direct the districtwide rightsizing process in accordance with the Guiding Principles and Workplan. ### Page 1, row-wise reading (pdfplumber; keeps table rows on one line but multi-column text may interleave) RESOLUTION No. # Resolution Adopting Guiding Principles and Workplan in the Rightsizing Process for Portland Public Schools RECITALS A. Whereas Portland Public Schools (PPS) is committed to well-resourced sustainable schools so that every PPS student has equitable access to a robust and high-quality educational eTxperience; B. Whereas the Student Assignment to Neighborhood Schools Policy 4.10.045-P directs the Superintendent to regularly monitor enrollment, program demand and demographic trends; C. Whereas PPS enrollment has declined steadily for the past five years and is forecast to continue to decline for at F least the next nine years. At the same time, our facilities are aging and costs have increased, forcing resource strains across schools; D. Whereas on April 14, 2026, the Board of Directors adopted Resolution 7296 directing the Superintendent to launch the Growing Great Schools districtwide rightsizing process to consider school and program consolidations, boundary adjustment, special progrAam changes, and grade reconfigurations; E. Whereas the Board finds it desirable to adopt Guiding Principles to ensure that the districtwide rightsizing process results in well-resourced, sustainable schools and equitable access for all students; and F. Whereas the Board finds it desirable to adopt a Workplan for the districtwide rightsizing process that ensures that students, familieRs, and community, as well as financial transparency and stewardship of district resources, are at the forefront of rightsizing decisions. RESOLUTION 1. Now, therefore, the Board of Directors hereby adopts the districtwide rightsizing Guiding Principles and Workplan, attached as Exhibit 1 hereto. D 2. The Board directs the Superintendent to oversee and direct the districtwide rightsizing process in accordance with the Guiding Principles and Workplan. ## Page 2 DRAFT Exhibit 1 Guiding Principles and Workplan: Guiding Principles The following Guiding Principles will establish priorities and guide decision-making at all stages of the rightsizing process: a.​ Well-Resourced Schools. Students across Portland Public Schools will attend well-resourced sustainable schools i.​ PPS will provide comparable, sustainable and rich academic programming at all grade spans across the district so that students can attend affirming learning spaces that meet their needs and that are buffered from enrollment fluctuations. ii.​ Descriptions of well resourced schools by grade spans will be drafted and shared with the Board and community and will serve as the aspirational vision that will guide rightsizing decisions. b.​ Healthy Learning Environments. PPS will provide safe, welcoming, and healthy learning environments that are conducive to student success and well-being. We will seek to responsibly steward our resources and maintain a sustainable portfolio of school facilities that support academic programming and long-term operational viability. c.​ Educational Options. PPS operates a variety of schools and programs, all of which will be part of this rightsizing process, with neighborhood schools at the center of the work. i.​ Access to choice programs will be balanced with the goal of assuring well-resourced neighborhood schools across our system. d.​ PPS Equity Lens. PPS will apply the Equity Lens to inform decision-making which will consider student demographics, socioeconomic status, and the needs of special education students and multilingual learners. Workplan a.​ Approach and Analysis i.​ PPS will conduct a comprehensive, data-informed analysis to develop a district-wide rightsizing plan that is designed to support equitable access to well-resourced, academically robust, and fiscally sustainable schools and programs. The analysis will incorporate multiple data sources, including, but not limited to, enrollment trends and projections, program access and parity, student demographics, facility utilization, and financial conditions. ii.​ PPS will be transparent about the data sources used in its analysis. iii.​ In parallel, the District will assess the operational feasibility of potential scenarios, including staffing, transportation, facilities, nutrition services, program continuity, and financial impacts, to confirm that proposed strategies are viable and sustainable. iv.​ Each proposed scenario shall include a standardized equity impact analysis that: 1. Assesses the impacts on focal student groups using disaggregated data; 2. Assesses access to specialized programs, including choice schools or programs, and culturally relevant supports, transportation, and proximity 3. Assesses impacts on school communities that have recently been impacted by recent enrollment and program changes as well as Title I school communities. 4. Incorporates community input and reflects how feedback informed the recommendation. b.​ Community Engagement i.​ PPS will engage the broader community in a structured way to get feedback in multiple phases including guiding principles and scenarios, and the plan for engagement will be shared publicly. ii.​ PPS will intentionally engage with families and educators to receive feedback from a variety of perspectives including from historically underserved communities, communities that have recently been impacted by enrollment and program balancing decisions and those who will be most impacted by decisions in this process. ### Page 2, row-wise reading (pdfplumber; keeps table rows on one line but multi-column text may interleave) Exhibit 1 Guiding Principles and Workplan: Guiding Principles The following Guiding Principles will establish priorities and guide decision-making at all stages of the rightsizing process: a. Well-Resourced Schools. Students across Portland Public Schools will attend well-resourced sustainable schools i. PPS will provide comparable, sustainable and rich academic programming at all grade spans across the district so that students can attend affirmingT learning spaces that meet their needs and that are buffered from enrollment fluctuations. ii. Descriptions of well resourced schools by grade spans will be drafted and shared with the Board and community and will serve as the aspirational vision that will guide rightsizing decisions. b. Healthy Learning Environments. PPS will provide safe, welcoming, and healthy learning environments that are conducive to student success and well-being. We will seek to responsibly steward our resources F and maintain a sustainable portfolio of school facilities that support academic programming and long-term operational viability. c. Educational Options. PPS operates a variety of schools and programs, all of which will be part of this rightsizing process, with neighborhood schools at the center of the work. i. Access to choice programs will be balanced with the goal of assuring well-resourced neighborhood schoAols across our system. d. PPS Equity Lens. PPS will apply the Equity Lens to inform decision-making which will consider student demographics, socioeconomic status, and the needs of special education students and multilingual learners. RWorkplan a. Approach and Analysis i. PPS will conduct a comprehensive, data-informed analysis to develop a district-wide rightsizing plan that is designed to support equitable access to well-resourced, academically robust, and fiscally sustainable schools and programs. The analysis will incorporate multiple data sources, including, but not limited to, enrollment trends and projections, program access and parity, student demographics, facility utilization, and financial conditions. D ii. PPS will be transparent about the data sources used in its analysis. iii. In parallel, the District will assess the operational feasibility of potential scenarios, including staffing, transportation, facilities, nutrition services, program continuity, and financial impacts, to confirm that proposed strategies are viable and sustainable. iv. Each proposed scenario shall include a standardized equity impact analysis that: 1. Assesses the impacts on focal student groups using disaggregated data; 2. Assesses access to specialized programs, including choice schools or programs, and culturally relevant supports, transportation, and proximity 3. Assesses impacts on school communities that have recently been impacted by recent enrollment and program changes as well as Title I school communities. 4. Incorporates community input and reflects how feedback informed the recommendation. b. Community Engagement i. PPS will engage the broader community in a structured way to get feedback in multiple phases including guiding principles and scenarios, and the plan for engagement will be shared publicly. ii. PPS will intentionally engage with families and educators to receive feedback from a variety of perspectives including from historically underserved communities, communities that have recently been impacted by enrollment and program balancing decisions and those who will be most impacted by decisions in this process. ## Page 3 DRAFT c.​ Implementation Plan i.​ PPS staff will develop an implementation framework to operationalize the rightsizing plan over time in a manner that minimizes disruption for students, families, and staff, and supports effective coordination across central office functions. Implementation will be sequenced based on district priorities, urgency of need, and operational readiness. ii.​ The implementation plan will establish key timelines, dependencies, and decision points, including alignment with staffing, budget, and facility planning cycles. It will also identify required resources for students, families, and staff to support continuity of programming and successful transitions for impacted school communities. iii.​ Consistent with PPS’ commitment to continuous improvement, implementation will include monitoring, evaluation, and adjustment based on outcomes and lessons learned. PPS will continue to engage students, families, staff, and community partners throughout implementation to inform refinements and support equitable outcomes. iv.​ Staff will present the proposed implementation plan to the Board for final approval. ### Page 3, row-wise reading (pdfplumber; keeps table rows on one line but multi-column text may interleave) c. Implementation Plan i. PPS staff will develop an implementation framework to operationalize the rightsizing plan over time in a manner that minimizes disruption for students, families, and staff, and supports effective coordination across central office functions. Implementation will be sequenced based on district priorities, urgency of need, and operational readiness. ii. The implementation plan will establish key timelines, dependencies, and decision points, including alignment with staffing, budget, and facility planning cycles. It will also identify required resources for students, families, and staff to support coTntinuity of programming and successful transitions for impacted school communities. iii. Consistent with PPS’ commitment to continuous improvement, implementation will include monitoring, evaluation, and adjustment based on outcomes and lessons learned. PPS will continue to engage students, families, staff, and community partners throughout implementation to inform refinements and support equitable outcomes. F iv. Staff will present the proposed implementation plan to the Board for final approval. A R D