Oregon Governor Orders Districts to Restore School Days

Ends use of instructional time cuts to balance budgets

Apr. 17, 2026 at 3:05am

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An extremely abstracted, out-of-focus photograph of students in a classroom, with soft pools of warm color and light creating a dreamlike, atmospheric mood that captures the essence of the story's focus on restoring instructional time for students.The governor's order aims to restore valuable classroom time for Oregon students, despite budgetary challenges.Salem Today

Oregon Governor Tina Kotek has issued an order prohibiting school districts from shortening the school year to cut costs or plug budget holes. The order requires districts that have already cut school days this year to add them back by the 2027-28 school year. Kotek also asked the State Board of Education to change state rules to no longer allow districts to cut instructional hours or count teacher professional development or parent-teacher conferences as instructional time.

Why it matters

Oregon has one of the shortest school years in the country, and the state's students have some of the highest rates of chronic absenteeism. Kotek believes that reducing instructional time is detrimental to student success, and she is taking action to ensure Oregon students receive the classroom time they need to thrive.

The details

Several Oregon school districts, including Portland, West Linn-Wilsonville, Reynolds, St. Helens, Lake Oswego, and Beaverton, have cut school days during the most recent school year to help cover budget shortfalls. Kotek's order will require these districts to add the cut days back by the 2027-28 school year, even if they still met the minimum instructional hours. The governor is also ordering an immediate end to the state education department's use of instructional time waivers that allow some districts to fall below the mandated minimum instructional hours, unless there is a declared emergency.

  • Kotek presented the order to the State Board of Education at its monthly meeting on Thursday, April 16, 2026.
  • The order requires districts that have already cut school days this year to add them back by the 2027-28 school year.

The players

Tina Kotek

The governor of Oregon who issued the order to restore school days and end the use of instructional time cuts to balance budgets.

State Board of Education

The board that Kotek presented the order to and asked to approve temporary rules requiring schools to add back cut school days.

Oregon school districts

Several districts, including Portland, West Linn-Wilsonville, Reynolds, St. Helens, Lake Oswego, and Beaverton, have cut school days during the most recent school year to help cover budget shortfalls.

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What they’re saying

“Too many Oregon students are not getting the time in the classroom they need to succeed. We cannot expect better outcomes if we continue to give our students less time to learn.”

— Tina Kotek, Governor of Oregon

“I know you're working in a complex economic environment, and I know resources are constrained, and I know that the path forward won't necessarily be simple or easy, but I also know, as you all do, that our kids are worth it, The future of Oregon is worth it and sometimes as leaders we must do the hard thing, especially when it's the right thing to do. Sometimes, we're going to have to work with what we have, and find a way forward.”

— Tina Kotek, Governor of Oregon

What’s next

The State Board of Education must approve the temporary rules requiring schools to add back cut school days by the 2027-28 school year. Kotek has suggested she is open to tapping the Education Stability Fund to help districts with one-time budget issues so they can comply with the order.

The takeaway

Kotek's order to restore school days and end the use of instructional time cuts to balance budgets is a bold move to ensure Oregon students receive the classroom time they need to succeed. This decision reflects the governor's commitment to prioritizing education and student outcomes, even in the face of budget constraints.