Portland District Considers Middle School Merger

By Aspen Willis-Howe, March 17th, 2026

According to Channel 8 News, Lincolns’ enrollment rate has seen the largest drop, 23% in the last year, which is quite drastic compared to Lyman’s 5.8% drop and King's 4.6%. This means that Lincoln isn't using up their space as much as they could compared to the other schools. It's also been mentioned that Lincoln is the most expensive to keep open, as Lincoln's annual cost is $19,828 a year, while for King it's $17,446 and for Lyman it's $15,759. 

However, the community has taken a more apprehensive viewpoint on this. Bobby Shaddox, who's the father of a 6th grader at Lincoln, expresses concern about both the logistical and social aspects of this. Regarding Lincoln's dwindling population, he brings up the point, “If we close Lincoln and send our students to Moore and King Middle School, what happens when class sizes swell in the next few years and those schools become overcrowded?” He also notes that larger class sizes will result in less specialized help for all students, which isn't ideal for anybody.

Along with that, Shaddox voices that his child has been distressed by the thought of possibly being split up from their peers who they've known since elementary school. He adds that the 6th graders are “just getting acclimated to the school culture and the staff,” and he feels like “it would be such a shame to stop that process prematurely.” Shaddox mentions that having to drive across the city could add up 30 minutes to his routine when dropping off and picking up his son, who would no longer be able to walk or bike by himself to school anymore.

When asked if there's anything he'd like to share, Shaddox states “I’m frustrated that we live in such a wealthy city, but put so little into our schools. I really believe we should be increasing taxes and investing in our schools rather than closing them.”