UPDATE (Wednesday, May 8, 2019, at 9:58 a.m. PT) — Schools in more than two dozen districts across Oregon will close for at least part of the day on Wednesday in response to a planned walk out by teachers to advocate for more school funding.
It’s part of the teacher “Day of Action” led by the Oregon Education Association, the state's largest public education employee union.
Teachers and community members will attend rallies and marches all over the state while advocating for smaller class sizes, full funding for electives and more school counselors.
School districts and state lawmakers are both in the midst of setting budgets. Some districts project dozens of teacher layoffs and larger class sizes.
Several school districts made the decision to cancel classes for the day out of concern for staffing and supervision of students because teachers had expressed plans to walk out of class.
To make up the missed day, some districts have extended the school year. Others have swapped out a teacher development day for May 8.
And even with most of Oregon’s school districts having class, a few schools plan to host events related to the “Day of Action.”
Umatilla Schools will host an event called “Walk In Their Shoes,” inviting community members to hear about the district’s budget process and shadowing students for the day.
From Oregon Education Association, the following schools have announced May 8 closures:
Ashland School District 5 - HALF DAY
Beaverton School District 48j - CLOSED
Bend-La Pine Schools - HALF DAY
Bethel School District 52 - CLOSED
Canby School District 86 - CLOSED
Central School District 13j - CLOSED
Corbett School District 39 - CLOSED
David Douglas School District 40 - CLOSED
Eugene School District 4j - CLOSED
Forest Grove School District 15 - CLOSED
Gladstone School District 115 - CLOSED
Gresham-Barlow School District 10j - CLOSED
Hillsboro School District 1j - CLOSED
Klamath Falls City Schools - CLOSED
Lake Oswego School District 7j - CLOSED
North Clackamas School District 12 - CLOSED
Oregon City School District 62 - CLOSED
Parkrose School District 3 - CLOSED
Portland School District 1j - CLOSED
Redmond School District 2j - EARLY RELEASE
Reynolds School District 7 - CLOSED
Riverdale School District 51j - CLOSED
Tigard-Tualatin School District 23j - CLOSED
Salem-Keizer School District 24j - CLOSED HALF DAY
West Linn-Wilsonville School District 3j - CLOSED
Woodburn School District 103 - CLOSED
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