Rieke Elem. At Risk In New Closure Process
- 1 day ago
- 4 min read
Updated: 8 hours ago
[April 10, 2026]
PPS School Closure Process Has Begun
Faced with continued declining enrollment, Portland Public Schools Superintendent Kimberlee Armstrong has announced the intention to close 5-10 schools in 2027-28. Hillsdale’s Rieke Elementary is among the lowest-enrolled schools in the district and has been targeted for closure in the past.
The Hillsdale Neighborhood Association is alert to the issue and invites anyone who wants to stay updated on the response to sign up here to be notified of any next steps, including the possible formation of a community action committee.
No list has yet been compiled and the process to decide which schools should close is still in development. Three public engagement meetings have been scheduled to gather public feedback to shape the decision-making.
In past closure conversations involving Rieke, the stated goal was to save money in the face of declining budgets. This time, said PPS Senior Chief Operating Officer Jon Franco, “right-sizing is not about money, it’s about providing all students with well-resourced schools with consistent comprehensive programming.”
PPS Engagement Session
Ida B. Wells High School
Wednesday, April 22, 6pm
Virtual Option: https://pps-net.zoom.us/j/82289805530#success
(scroll to the bottom for additional dates)
A letter to Rieke parents said the engagement sessions “will guide future engagement and provide helpful context for the PPS Board of Education as planning continues.”
The details on what to expect from the sessions were still vague as of a March 31 meeting of the PPS school board, though they may include live interactive polling and surveys. Some of the factors that could come into play (from a policy adopted by PPS in 2010 that was used to inform the Jefferson dual-enrollment discussions of last year):
A feeder pattern that allows as many students as possible to continue to together from one school level to the next.
Student body demographics.
Compact boundaries that promote safer routes to schools and a sense of community as well as recognize and address natural and human-made barriers.
Optimal use of existing facilities.
Program and enrollment stability in the surrounding schools.
Limiting the impact of boundary changes to the smallest number of students.
In an informal poll of school board members the meeting, a majority prioritized “compact boundaries,” even as the Superintendent acknowledged that some of the considerations could be in conflict.
Rieke’s past, and future prospects
Rieke was closed as an elementary school from 1984-1992 (PPS used the building for other purposes). The district proposed closing Rieke in 2003 and again in 2006. Community response in both cases turned the tide and kept the school open. More on those efforts is available at https://riekeschool.blogspot.com/.
The most recent enrollment forecasts predict a downward trend for Rieke, reaching a low of 246 students by 2035-36. At PPS, funding is based on enrollment, so smaller schools tend to suffer cuts to staff and offerings in times of budget challenges (which is most years these days).
The projections include new multi-family developments in Hillsdale. While the report includes the upcoming Gooseberry Trails housing project in its enrollment assumptions, it assigns the Barbur Apartments (currently under construction with 149 units) to Maplewood Elementary. However, a PPS address lookup indicates the development falls within the Rieke attendance area.
Closure Decision Timeline
April 14: The School Board will vote on a resolution directing the Superintendent to begin a districtwide right-sizing process.
April: Three community engagement sessions are scheduled.
Spring–Summer 2026: Staff to develop guidelines and gather public input.
Fall 2026: A proposal will be presented to the Superintendent.
November 2026: School Board Approval.
January 2027: Planning for school closures to begin.
Fall 2027: School closures to take effect.
Questions worth asking at the April 22 engagement session
Are high schools included in the rightsizing process?
According to the resolution authorizing the right-sizing process, all schools will be included in the closure discussions, meaning focus option programs and other specialized programs are not excluded. However, the resolution does not specifically reference high schools, even as PPS is preparing to rebuild Wells, Cleveland, and Jefferson with capacity for 1,700 students each.
Wells is projected to decline from its current enrollment of about 1,600 to 1,238 students, while Cleveland and Jefferson are each projected to have just over 1,000 students by 2035–36. Does the concept of “right-sizing” apply to high schools as well as elementary and middle schools?
Will the need for seismic upgrades or other facility condition issues be used as criteria in closure decisions?
What will happen to closed school buildings?
Could potential future uses be considered in the decision-making process? For example, would a school with strong prospects for reuse be more likely to be closed?
Were Rieke to close, whether or not it were repurposed, the impacts on the neighborhood would be significant. Smith School on SW 52nd Ave was closed in 2005 due to declining budgets and falling enrollment. Twenty years later, it remains vacant and has become a target for vandalism, as reported by local news outlets, and is likely to have experienced ongoing deterioration and maintenance challenges typical of long-vacant buildings.
—Valeurie Friedman
Questions? Comments? Let us know.