End "Real-Time" Enrollment-Based Funding

TL;DR

This is one of the dumbest "public services as a business" ideas I've ever encountered. I'm not the only one. Oregon's funding formula punishes schools like PPS when enrollment drops, threatening mid-year teacher cuts and classroom chaos. PPS must fight to lock in stable, year-long funding, holding politicians accountable for supporting unstable, enrollment-driven budgets that hurt students.

1. What's the Problem?

Oregon's State School Fund formula (Oregon State School Fund Formula: ORS 327.013) allows districts like PPS to be funded based on current-year enrollment. In some cases, "average" enrollment — but when enrollment drops mid-year or is projected too optimistically, PPS gets less funding than expected, leading to mid-year teacher cuts and program losses. Though no formal law requires mid-year updates, state budget leaders and ODE are pushing for "real-time" or "right-sized" adjustments — leaving schools in financial free fall when families move or leave.

2. Why Does This hurt PPS?

  • PPS is losing enrollment due to housing costs, charters, and private schools.

  • If state policy and ODE practice shift fully to "real-time" funding, PPS will lose money mid-year, even though it can't lay off teachers or shrink class sizes overnight.

  • This means cuts to electives, specialists, and core classroom teachers will hurt kids and force school leaders into constant crisis mode.

3. What Can PPS Do to Stop This?

  1. Pass a Board Resolution rejecting mid-year funding adjustments and demanding Oregon fund districts on stable, annual enrollment counts.

  2. Push for Legislation to Amend ORS 327.013 to require year-long stable funding based on a fixed count (e.g., October 1 snapshot).

  3. Publicly call out legislators (it's essentially all of them) who are pushing for "right-sized" or "real-time" adjustments and demand that they explain to Portland families why their child's teacher could be cut mid-year.

  4. Coordinate with other districts to build a statewide coalition that will force the legislature to stabilize school funding formulas.