Portland Schools Face Enrollment Decline | Portland News

Portland News Today | 2 Min News | The Daily News Now! · Aug 25, 2026 · 1m

Portland Public Schools faces a looming enrollment crisis, with student numbers projected to drop 14% by 2035–2036—down from 42,600 to 36,700. While last year’s loss of 700 students was offset by an unexpected surge in kindergarteners, long-term trends like falling birth rates and population decline are driving the decline. Enrollment in kindergarten and first grade is slipping below 75%, down from over 82% in 2015, forcing the district to compete harder with private and home schools. High school enrollment peaked recently but is now declining as smaller cohorts move up from elementary and…