Save PDX Schools. Save Maplewood.
Show up • Stand up • Speak up
Portland Public Schools has proposed closing up to 14 schools including Maplewood Elementary. The School Board is scheduled to vote on Tuesday, December 15, 2026. Nothing is final until then.
1. Show up
Turnout is counted. Come to what you can, wear Maplewood colors, and bring a neighbor.
This week
See this week’s events on our calendar.
2. Stand up
- Share this page on social media with #savepdxschools and #maplewoodstrong.
- Follow and tag: Maplewood Elementary on Instagram (@maplewoodelementary) and Facebook, plus Save PDX Schools (@savepdxschools) and the Portland Association of Teachers (@pdxteachers) on Instagram.
- Hand-write a letter and drop it off at Maplewood. We’ll hand-deliver them to Governor Kotek’s office and PPS.
- Fill out the district’s scenario feedback survey, even if you already did. It has new open-ended questions, but it uses the same link as the first survey and may say you’ve already submitted.
3. Speak up
Email the people who decide and ask them to defer the vote and not move forward with either scenario. Personal notes and stories matter most, and individually written emails make the biggest difference. A few sentences is enough.
Our talking points for Maplewood parents (PDF) cover the main arguments.
What to include:
- Who you are and your connection to Maplewood.
- One specific story: the walk to school, a teacher, what the school means on your street.
- One clear ask: defer the decision and do not move forward with either scenario. Slow this process down until the data is accurate and the impact of every closure is understood.
- Put “Maplewood” in the subject line, such as “In Support of Maplewood”.
Prefer a starting point? Save PDX Schools has a message tool that drafts an email you can edit and send from your own account.
PPS School Board
| Name | |
|---|---|
| Full School Board | schoolboard [at] pps.net |
| Christy Splitt | csplitt [at] pps.net |
| Michelle DePass | mdepass [at] pps.net |
| Patte Sullivan | psullivan [at] pps.net |
| Rashelle Chase-Miller | rchasemiller [at] pps.net |
| Virginia La Forte | vlaforte [at] pps.net |
| Stephanie Engelsman | sengelsman [at] pps.net |
| Edward “Eddie” Wang | eddiewang [at] pps.net |
City and state officials
| Name | |
|---|---|
| Mayor Keith Wilson | mayor [at] portlandoregon.gov |
| Governor Tina Kotek | Governor.Kotek [at] oregon.gov |
| Senator Kate Lieber | Sen.KateLieber [at] oregonlegislature.gov |
| Rep. Dacia Grayber | Rep.DaciaGrayber [at] oregonlegislature.gov |
We are not alone
Fourteen schools, including Maplewood, may close under the district’s proposals, and their communities are organizing too. Follow their pages, share their events, and show up for each other.
Beach Buckman Creston Irvington James John Lewis Maplewood Marysville Peninsula Rose City Park Sabin Sellwood Middle School Stephenson Woodmere
Resources
Citywide campaign
- Save PDX Schools: the citywide parent campaign.
- Compare Proposals A and B, school by school.
- Explore the data for each school.
- Questions for PPS and the Board.
- Public meeting transcripts.
- Presentation: What the Evidence Shows (PDF).
Official PPS information
In the news
- OPB, Oct. 5: Up to 14 schools closing in PPS “rightsizing” scenarios
- Willamette Week, Oct. 5: PPS releases two school closure scenarios
- OPB, Oct. 6: Hundreds of students, parents, staff ask Portland to pause school closures
- KOIN: Parents push back against proposed school closures at PPS meeting
- KPTV, Oct. 7: Parents push back at board meeting
Don’t give up
Keep showing up. Keep speaking up. Keep standing up. Share this with 5 people and ask each of them to take one action toward saving our Portland schools.