Oregon Is Almost Certain to Close Its Public Schools for Weeks Because of Coronavirus

Several sources tell WW it is very likely that large Oregon school districts will soon close for weeks, and the governor's top aide says conversations with those districts are trending toward that decision.

The Oregonian reported late Thursday that the Tigard-Tualatin district became the first to close.

Shortly after that decision, the Lake Oswego school board voted to close its schools through March 30.

WW's sources say those districts will be the first of several large districts to make that decision—because while young people don't tend to get very sick from the COVID-19 coronavirus, they do spread it.

Today, the Seattle and San Francisco public school districts both announced they were closing temporarily because of concerns about the COVID-19 pandemic.

And three of Portland's largest private high schools, Jesuit, Central Catholic and St. Mary's Academy also announced today they would close their campuses beginning as soon as tomorrow (Central) and temporarily serve students through distance learning.

The Portland Association of Teachers today called on Portland Public Schools to close, The Oregonian first reported. "We are advocating that notice goes out today, for a date in the future that gives us & our families an opportunity to prepare," the union said in a statement.

Gov. Kate Brown's chief of staff, Nik Blosser, says Brown had calls with groups of about a dozen school district superintendents yesterday and again about 3 pm today.

Blosser said the substance of those calls changed dramatically from Wednesday to Thursday.

"What the superintendents said today is that how the situation had changed," Blosser says. "Today, they were talking about growing staff absences—in one district about 70 percent of teachers are 60 or older—and the inability to find substitutes. That has significantly changed their ability to operate."

Blosser noted that the question of closing schools is complicated by the fact that many students rely on school breakfasts and lunches, and that finding and paying for childcare is a big issue for many parents.

He says that no final decision has been made but he expects it will be by mid-day Friday.