Nearly two years after the pandemic began, Portland, Oregon’s reputation for violence, homelessness, drug use, and riots continues to hamper the city’s recovery. Now, Portland Public Schools are experiencing an 8 percent decline in enrollment as well. Enrollment in Portland Public Schools (PPS), the largest district in the state, dropped nearly 7,000 students, or 8 percent, in the past two years, according to Oregon state data. Though enrollment has declined by 1.41 percent statewide, PPS had a larger loss of students at 3.84 percent in the same time frame. In a statement to staff, PPS deputy superintendents Claire Hertz and Cheryl Proctor attribute the decline to “decreasing birth rates, enrollment patterns, school reconfiguration, and choices families have made during the pandemic.” Oregon’s embrace of homeschooling during the pandemic may be a factor. Students registered for homeschooling nationwide doubled between spring of 2019 and fall of 2020, according to the US …