---
title: "Rightsizing Update 08.04.26 _Board Memo (BoardBook)"
source_url: "https://meetings.boardbook.org/Documents/FileViewerOrPublic/915?file=3997426"
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
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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: "Rightsizing Update 08.04.26 _Board Memo"
download_url: "https://meetings.boardbook.org/Documents/DownloadPDF/3997426?org=915"
---

# Rightsizing Update 08.04.26 _Board Memo (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=3997426.

## Page 1

 
To:​
Board of Education 
From:​ Dr. Jon Franco, Senior Chief of Operations 
RE:​
Rightsizing Update:  Equity Audit Evaluation  
Date:​ August 4, 2026 
 
Our central office teams are using the lessons learned and the recommendations from the extensive and 
in depth report, “Equity Audit Evaluation of Portland Public Schools’ (PPS) Southeast Enrollment and 
Program Balancing Initiative”, prepared by Dr. Terrence L. Green and Dr. Havala Hanson, to guide our 
current rightsizing process.  Each of the four teams, Academics, Activities and Athletics, Data and 
Modeling, Communication and Engagement, and Operations have reviewed key aspects of the report 
and incorporated it into their work.  As mentioned in the executive summary (p.2), “SEGC cannot be 
reduced to a simple story of success or failure.  It is more complex and produced gains, harms, tradeoffs, 
and unresolved tensions that varied by school, community, program, and student group.”  These 
tradeoffs and tensions will also be part of the current rightsizing process. The report calls for us to 
evaluate rightsizing decisions  through an education equity, sufficiency and implementation-readiness 
lens. Ultimately posing the question:  Will the change create stronger and more equitable learning 
environments? 
Key Findings: 
The changes from the enrollment and program balancing process were felt differently across the 
schools.  
●​ Overall the changes resulted in improved enrollment balance across the schools against the 
backdrop of declining enrollment. 
●​ While students impacted by the changes had similar academic and disciplinary outcomes to 
peers, this did not match how families experienced the changes, especially in middle school. 
●​ The changes resulted in greater coherence for Dual Language Immersion programs while also 
impacting students' access to neighborhood schools and the racial composition of the schools. 
●​ The first year of implementation saw major staffing disruptions especially for staff of color. 
●​ These changes were not the only changes the school experienced, for example budget reductions 
or special education program delivery, which added to the strain on the buildings.   
●​ While the strain was buffered by strong site leadership and school cultures, they needed more 
central office support through the transition. These are multi-year processes which require 
sustained focus. 
●​ The gap between stated intentions and actions eroded trust with the impacted communities. 
1 

### Page 1, row-wise reading (pdfplumber; keeps table rows on one line but multi-column text may interleave)

To: Board of Education
From: Dr. Jon Franco, Senior Chief of Operations
RE: Rightsizing Update: Equity Audit Evaluation
Date: August 4, 2026
Our central office teams are using the lessons learned and the recommendations from the extensive and
in depth report, “Equity Audit Evaluation of Portland Public Schools’ (PPS) Southeast Enrollment and
Program Balancing Initiative”, prepared by Dr. Terrence L. Green and Dr. Havala Hanson, to guide our
current rightsizing process. Each of the four teams, Academics, Activities and Athletics, Data and
Modeling, Communication and Engagement, and Operations have reviewed key aspects of the report
and incorporated it into their work. As mentioned in the executive summary (p.2), “SEGC cannot be
reduced to a simple story of success or failure. It is more complex and produced gains, harms, tradeoffs,
and unresolved tensions that varied by school, community, program, and student group.” These
tradeoffs and tensions will also be part of the current rightsizing process. The report calls for us to
evaluate rightsizing decisions through an education equity, sufficiency and implementation-readiness
lens. Ultimately posing the question: Will the change create stronger and more equitable learning
environments?
Key Findings:
The changes from the enrollment and program balancing process were felt differently across the
schools.
● Overall the changes resulted in improved enrollment balance across the schools against the
backdrop of declining enrollment.
● While students impacted by the changes had similar academic and disciplinary outcomes to
peers, this did not match how families experienced the changes, especially in middle school.
● The changes resulted in greater coherence for Dual Language Immersion programs while also
impacting students' access to neighborhood schools and the racial composition of the schools.
● The first year of implementation saw major staffing disruptions especially for staff of color.
● These changes were not the only changes the school experienced, for example budget reductions
or special education program delivery, which added to the strain on the buildings.
● While the strain was buffered by strong site leadership and school cultures, they needed more
central office support through the transition. These are multi-year processes which require
sustained focus.
● The gap between stated intentions and actions eroded trust with the impacted communities.
1

## Page 2

 
●​ The intensity and cumulative impact of changes matter and transition supports should be 
differentiated. 
 
Enrollment Projections: 
As we have shared, our enrollment decline will continue throughout the next decade, though the rate of 
decline will slow over time.  The steep decline that we saw from the pandemic is working its way 
through the system and will reach the middle grades in the next five years.  Maintaining more than 80 
school sites amid declining enrollment has spread resources increasingly thin. Schools experience this 
through blended classrooms, an increase in itinerant staff, reduction in school-wide supports such as 
counselors or social workers, or courses being offered in alternate years.  Below you will find the 
enrollment projections by grade-level if we make no changes.   
 
We used the threshold of 360 students for elementaries and 500 students for middle schools as guided 
by the prototype school description in the Quality Education Model. We applied the same number for 
K-8s and used the 1100 students threshold we developed during the sunsetting of Jefferson dual 
assignment process. Elementary school populations will continue to shrink and the impact at middle 
grades will be pronounced with 69% of K8 and 47% of middle schools falling 100 students or more below 
the enrollment for stable programming by 2031-32.   
2 

### Page 2, row-wise reading (pdfplumber; keeps table rows on one line but multi-column text may interleave)

● The intensity and cumulative impact of changes matter and transition supports should be
differentiated.
Enrollment Projections:
As we have shared, our enrollment decline will continue throughout the next decade, though the rate of
decline will slow over time. The steep decline that we saw from the pandemic is working its way
through the system and will reach the middle grades in the next five years. Maintaining more than 80
school sites amid declining enrollment has spread resources increasingly thin. Schools experience this
through blended classrooms, an increase in itinerant staff, reduction in school-wide supports such as
counselors or social workers, or courses being offered in alternate years. Below you will find the
enrollment projections by grade-level if we make no changes.
We used the threshold of 360 students for elementaries and 500 students for middle schools as guided
by the prototype school description in the Quality Education Model. We applied the same number for
K-8s and used the 1100 students threshold we developed during the sunsetting of Jefferson dual
assignment process. Elementary school populations will continue to shrink and the impact at middle
grades will be pronounced with 69% of K8 and 47% of middle schools falling 100 students or more below
the enrollment for stable programming by 2031-32.
2

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## Page 3

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