is a nonpartisan coalition of Portland residents committed to ensuring that Portland Public Schools allocates resources fairly, transparently, and according to educational need.
Every Portland Public Schools student deserves equal access to the resources they need to learn and thrive.
Families for Fair School Funding
The Problem
Portland’s school funding policies are unfair and counterproductive.
Portland Public School’s Equity Funding and fundraising policy have led to less money for all PPS schools and all PPS students.
Portland’s students have lost
$2.8 million in parent donations
—and your child’s school may be getting a lot less than it should.
Under the previous system, parents were able to raise money that supported the unique needs of their child’s school, while contributing 33% of the total to a district-wide fund, the PPS Parent Fund.
Now under the new Fundraising Policy, all parent fundraising goes directly to a single districtwide foundation . That money is then distributed to individual schools in accordance with PPS’s Equity and Social Justice mandate.
Before funding
policy changes
Local school foundations
+$3,000,000
in parent donations
with more than
+$1,000,000
dedicated to
The PPS
Parent Fund
After funding
policy changes
The Districtwide Foundation
$595,324
in parent donations
a total loss of
-$2,800,000
or approximately
-80%
What is at stake?
18 Portland K-8 schools received zero equity funding in 2024-25 and are budgeted for zero again in 2025-26.
-
2024-25 Adopted Budget: $0 Equity Funding
2025-26 Proposed Budget: $0 Equity Funding
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2024-25 Adopted Budget: $0 Equity Funding
2025-26 Proposed Budget: $0 Equity Funding
-
2024-25 Adopted Budget: $0 Equity Funding
2025-26 Proposed Budget: $0 Equity Funding
-
2024-25 Adopted Budget: $0 Equity Funding
2025-26 Proposed Budget: $0 Equity Funding
-
2024-25 Adopted Budget: $0 Equity Funding
2025-26 Proposed Budget: $0 Equity Funding
-
2024-25 Adopted Budget: $0 Equity Funding
2025-26 Proposed Budget: $0 Equity Funding
-
2024-25 Adopted Budget: $0 Equity Funding
2025-26 Proposed Budget: $0 Equity Funding
-
2024-25 Adopted Budget: $0 Equity Funding
2025-26 Proposed Budget: $0 Equity Funding
-
2024-25 Adopted Budget: $0 Equity Funding
2025-26 Proposed Budget: $0 Equity Funding
-
2024-25 Adopted Budget: $0 Equity Funding
2025-26 Proposed Budget: $0 Equity Funding
-
2024-25 Adopted Budget: $0 Equity Funding
2025-26 Proposed Budget: $0 Equity Funding
-
2024-25 Adopted Budget: $0 Equity Funding
2025-26 Proposed Budget: $0 Equity Funding
-
2024-25 Adopted Budget: $0 Equity Funding
2025-26 Proposed Budget: $0 Equity Funding
-
2024-25 Adopted Budget: $0 Equity Funding
2025-26 Proposed Budget: $0 Equity Funding
-
2024-25 Adopted Budget: $0 Equity Funding
2025-26 Proposed Budget: $0 Equity Funding
-
2024-25 Adopted Budget: $0 Equity Funding
2025-26 Proposed Budget: $0 Equity Funding
-
2024-25 Adopted Budget: $0 Equity Funding
2025-26 Proposed Budget: $0 Equity Funding
-
2024-25 Adopted Budget: $0 Equity Funding
2025-26 Proposed Budget: $0 Equity Funding
Portland Public Schools funding policies determine which schools secure extra classroom teaching aids, other important staff, and additional program resources. In 2013, PPS changed its funding formula to include demographic factors like race alongside traditional needs-based criteria.
The new funding formulas categorize certain racial groups as “historically underserved” and provides extra funding to schools with larger populations of those students.
Under this formula, two schools with identical poverty rates, test scores, and academic needs can receive different levels of funding and staffing —based solely on student race.
In 2024, Portland Public Schools only compounded the problem by centralizing all parent fundraising.
Public schools cannot base funding decisions on skin color..
Parents and students deserve full transparency about how schools are funded whether these decisions serve the educational needs of PPS students.
Your voice matters.
Share your story.
Has your child’s school lost programs, teachers, or resources? We want to hear your story
