Equity. If you’re a PPS Student, that’s a word I’m positive you’ve heard at least a thousand times. But just how likely is our district to practice the values that they so often preach? 

Turns out, not all that much.

Now, there have been instances of PPS neglecting their own virtues. But at the moment, I’d like to focus on a single issue that has had major personal effect on me;

The lack of diversity in PPS Magnet Schools.

This may come as an absolute shocker–but I’m not white. Wild, imperceptible, even. 

When I was an elementary schooler, it was the last thing on my mind. I was too busy eating grass and breaking crayons to care about the color of my skin. Plus, my neighborhood was incredibly diverse. I never had a reason to notice.

Then I went to daVinci Arts Middle School.

Have you ever been outside after a blizzard? When the snow is so bright, you almost have to put on sunglasses?

That was what my first day felt like. (I know how that sounds coming from a theater kid, but I swear I’m not being that overdramatic.)

Don’t get me wrong, my three years at daVinci were wonderful. The staff was lovely, the community was welcoming, and it helped me discover some of my greatest passions. Still, at the end of the day, it was isolating. 

There was a point at which I attempted to found an Asian American Pacific Islander club at my school. But the number of AAPI students was so low, that the idea barely stumbled its way out the door.

At first, I thought I may have been going crazy. Maybe this was just normal. I mean, my elementary school could’ve just been an incredibly diverse exception… right?

Right?

According to the PPS District Wide Enrollment Summary recorded on October 1st, 2024, our district has a population that is 53.8% White, 5.5% Asian, 8.3% African American, 18.6% Latino, 0.5% Native American, 0.7% Pacific Islander, and 12.4% other races.

Compare that to daVinci– Which, out of its 427 students, has a population that is 64.9% White.  

And you may be thinking– “Zahra, that’s not that bad of an increase!” Don’t worry, it only gets… better from here on out.

Before I even type it, I just want you to guess the amount of Asian students at DaVinci this school year. Because whatever you’re thinking, I assure you, it’s worse.

In October of 2024, daVinci Arts Middle Schools had five Asian students.

Five.

That’s 1.2%, compared to the district total of 5.5%. 

There is no need for me to elaborate upon just how absolutely cuckoo bananas that is.

The rest of the statistics don’t tell the most pleasant tale either. With a 13.8% Latino, and 6.6% Black student body, you can clearly see the pale picture this school has painted. And for that, there may be many reasons. 

For one, the area in which the school is located is predominantly white. Specifically, according to City-Data, the white population makes up around 72.9% of the Kerns neighborhood. Combine that with the increased economic disadvantage of families in the PPS area, and you can see how this may be a contributing factor. 

However, a couple of statistics are never enough to get a full idea of the situation. So I reached out to daVinci Principal, Scott Roosevelt. 

When asked if he’d noticed a lack of racial diversity at daVinci, he responded with, “Yeah, so I don’t think I’ve noticed a lack of diversity, right? 
Because daVinci is unique in that it’s a focused option middle school where folks apply. But, you know, I think Portland is not the most diverse place to begin with. And I think in PPS, diversity or diverse communities live in pockets right within the city.”

According to the PPS Wide Enrollment Summary, daVinci has a minority enrollment of 36%. The district average is 53.8%. 

 “Would I like to find a way to increase the percentage of our students who identify as non-white? Yeah. Yeah, I would. I don’t have all the answers for how to do that yet, but yeah, I would.”

However, Roosevelt also stated that he has seen the lack of diversity affecting students and staff.

“DaVinci does not have a diverse workforce, you know, staff there. And since I’ve arrived, the only thing I’ve been able to do is reduce staff because of the budget cuts we’re facing and not add staff. 
And so whenever I do get the chance to hire, you’re always looking for the best candidate, but if that candidate can also be a person of color or someone that represents a background other than the majority of what your student population is, I’m all for looking at bringing that person on board.”

“You know, I think, as a white male, and a white male in a position of privilege and power, I can’t speak to what the experience is for kids of color, but I would have to assume that having a staff that doesn’t entirely mirror the demographic populations of our students would be challenging at times.”

Roosevelt also shared several of the steps that daVinci has been taking to support diversity, mentioning affinity groups such as their AAPI club, Black Student Union, and Native American Affinity group. However, these haven’t been without difficulty. “The district had a partnership with a group called the Urban League of Portland, and for some reason or another, that contract wasn’t renewed. 
I don’t know why. But one thing the Urban League of Portland did was provide us with an individual who basically was a mentor for our BSU and particularly black or African American students. Since then, since we’ve lost them, that partnership, so we don’t have them, so we’ve had to scramble to find advisors.”

But daVinci isn’t the only magnet school struggling with diversity.

Winterhaven, a K-8 school focused on STEAM, is incredibly caucasian. In fact, according to PPS statistics, around 72.4% of its 322 students are white. The Asian population is a little better–having 5%. Yet, the amount of other minorities isn’t exactly great. With a 1.6% Black, and 7.5% Latino student body. 

Winterhaven seems to be completely ignorant of this issue. If you look on their website, their mission statement boasts how Winterhaven, “respects the diverse histories represented in our students, staff and teachers. We also respect diverse learning styles and aim to support diversity in not only what we teach, but how we do so.”  If you look on their website, there is no evidence of any sort of affinity group, or other method of encouraging diversity. Now, I am not saying that no efforts have been made. But in my extensive research, I was unable to find one that has had a true effect on their community. 

And it doesn’t end there. ACCESS Academy, a TAG focus option school, has struggled intensely with diversity. In some areas, a lot more than DaVinci. The white population? 73.4%. The rest? Not all that much better. Out of its 237 students, 5% are Latino, 5.9% are Asian, and 0.3% are Black. That means that in 2024, there was one Black student.

One.

While the other reasons I’ve mentioned play into this school’s scarce diversity, ACCESS is a special case, as it’s a TAG focus school. Historically, students of color have received less support when pursuing TAG options.

To get the perspective of a student that has struggled with this, I decided to interview a Black former ACCESS student, who faced discrimination from a teacher while applying for ACCESS. 

This student, who asked to remain anonymous, shared with me that, “When I was in 2nd Grade, I took a TAG related exam. It found that I was in the 99th percentile for reading and writing in my age group, and the 99th percentile for math in my age group. This gave me eligibility to apply to ACCESS Academy, but my teacher at the time refused to sign the paperwork needed. She told my parents that she thought it was a fluke, and that kids like me rarely did well on these tests.”  

They later added that, “She did allow my white best friend to apply, and he got in. At the time I could’ve potentially moved up a grade, but because she refused to sign the paperwork needed I was stuck within a system that did not adequately meet my growth needs.” 

Eventually, the student was accepted into ACCESS Academy in their sixth grade year. However, it was incredibly difficult, and took years of support from their other teachers. At the end of the day, that student was stuck in a system. One that I assure you many others have found themselves trapped in. Yet, it’s one that isn’t impossible to dismantle.

Take a look at our own school, Benson. We have a thriving diverse community. And, we are recognized as one of the, “most diverse high schools in the Northwest,” on our website. Our various affinity groups have dozens of members. Our history is rich with people of color. 

So, what have we done differently?

As students grow older, the issue of transportation decreases. Many begin to take TriMet, some even drive. This allows a freedom that many middle schoolers lack. Plus, Benson is a lot less competitive than other schools. Especially before our modernization, the majority of applicants were accepted. I am yet to hear of a student who has been denied in the past couple years. Compare that to the amount of students rejected from other magnet schools, you’ll notice a stark difference. 

I don’t want to end this off by saying that this issue is simple- because it very much isn’t. There’s thousands of systemic bricks that build up a dilemma like this. But dismantling each one is the key to ensuring students an equitable education.