PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — As Portland Public Schools prepares to close its Online Learning Academy program at the end of the school year, parents, staff and students are taking their concerns straight to the school board.
OLA was launched in the 2021-2022 school year with federal COVID relief funds, and while it’s seen a decline in enrollment in the last year, parents say it makes a world of difference for students who are a part of it and should be a permanent fixture.
“The last thing we want is for our school to end when we were just getting started,” one student told the school board during their meeting Tuesday evening.
Earlier this year, the district announced the closure of the Online Learning Academy program in June. At Tuesday’s school board meeting, many connected to the program spoke in support of it, calling it a safe haven for a variety of needs like COVID and health concerns.
“My husband is immune-compromised and we also have immune-compromised family members and in-person school is simply not an option for us right now,” said Suzanne Bilderback, a parent of an OLA student.
Special needs education was also brought up as a reason to keep the program. Some parents say the OLA program has allowed their students to participate and feel engaged without the pressure of in-person learning.
“I have a child who is diagnosed autistic and ADHD. She has had a hard time fitting into the typical school format,” said Sara Kemper, a parent of two OLA students. “Losing this community and losing this resource as a parent, I feel like it’s just devastating. We’ve had to fight as parents of special education kids.”
Portland Public Schools told KOIN 6 the program experienced a 60% decline in enrollment since the last school year and serves less than 1% of their students, adding that it no longer worked financially since it was funded through one-time federal COVID relief funds.
In a statement, PPS said, “the 236 students this program serves will continue to have an online option through their Virtual Scholars program or the Oregon Connections Academy.”
But parents told KOIN 6 that those options don’t work for many families currently in the program, and would result in many having to leave the district – either for the OCA charter option or to another school district in the Portland metro area that still offers online learning.
“The option they’re kind of nudging us toward are these kind of charter options which is very minimal instruction,” said Bilderback. “I hope Portland Public Schools can get wise because we are part of this district.”
“I really like how they treat me like I’m really special and important,” added Agustin Delgado, Bilderback’s child who is a third grader at OLA.
During Tuesday night’s meeting, one of OLA’s teachers also spoke on behalf of those enrolled.
“Many of my students are scared to return to their PPS brick and mortar building, whether from bullying, drug availability in the halls, anxiety or any number of medical issues,” Sarah Wall told the school board.
The district has not yet said what will happen to the program’s teachers next school year. KOIN 6 also asked PPS about students potentially leaving the district for other online programs and the impact that’ll have on the budget — which they’ve previously said has been affected with students leaving PPS — but we did not get an answer.
