Agency Overview

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The State of Oregon's public education system consists of public school districts and education service districts with their own respective governing bodies. The Oregon Legislature created the Oregon State Board of Education to set the educational policies and standards of Oregon’s state schools and community colleges. Its mission is to “consider the goals of modern education, the requirements of a sound, comprehensive curriculum best suited to the needs of the students and the public and any other factors consistent with the maintenance of a modern and efficient elementary and secondary school system and community college program” (ORS 326.011). In support of the board's mission, the Oregon Department of Education provides policy and expertise in:

The establishment of state standards for public kindergartens, elementary and secondary schools.
Adopting rules for the general governance of public kindergartens, elementary and secondary schools.
Prescribing the required or minimum course of study.
Adopting rules regarding school and interscholastic activities.
Adopting rules prohibiting discrimination in public schools (ORS 326.051).

In addition, the Department of Education manages the Oregon School for the Deaf and education programs in Oregon youth corrections facilities. (ORS 326.310).

The Oregon State Department of Education functions under the control and operation of the Oregon State Board of Education, with the Superintendent of Public Instruction serving as administrative officer (ORS 326.111). It is the responsibility of the Oregon Department of Education to administer the educational policies and standards of the Oregon State Board of Education. The Superintendent of Public Instruction serves as the chief facilitator of educational policy enacted by both law and the guidance of the State Board of Education (ORS 326.310).

Oregon has 197 public school districts, which operate a total of 1,355 public schools. These schools enroll a total of 561,698 students from Kindergarten through Grade 12. Approximately 30,157 teachers work in Oregon’s public schools, for a student-teacher ratio of 19.4 to 1. Student demographics show a minority enrollment of 32 percent. Students who qualified for free and reduced-price lunch made up 49 percent of all students in 2009–2010. Special education students made up 13 percent of the total in 2009–2010. Students needing language assistance services because English was not their first language made up 12 percent of the total in 2009-2010.

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