Portland Public Schools has put forward two scenarios: one that would close 14 schools and another that would close 11. Board member Christy Splitt said either option would affect 24% to 27% of students, a scale she considers too large. She asked her colleagues to say they would not add schools to the lists late in the process.

The board did not make that formal commitment. But Superintendent Kimberlee Armstrong said district staff had conducted extensive modeling to select the schools and had tailored community engagement sessions to the buildings under consideration. Board Chair Eddie Wang described the chance of adding a school as “pretty close to zero,” barring an unforeseen event.

Armstrong also warned that changing the plans could have broader consequences: “One change, one modification, one add has a cascading effect,” she told the board.

The meeting came amid loud opposition from a frustrated crowd, which booed and jeered as district leaders presented the scenarios. Board members also sought more information, including about the future of focus option schools and whether the district would provide a fiscal impact statement.

Board member Michelle DePass argued that Portland’s population has changed since it was home to more young, large families, and said the district needs to act. Splitt, by contrast, questioned the breadth of the proposed cuts.

The board’s discussion made clear that the plans may be difficult to alter, while leaving open the possibility—however unlikely—that a school could still be added. The district’s proposals would affect school communities across Portland, and the board has not formally promised to keep the lists unchanged.