Gov. Kate Brown ordered the public release of annual school performance ratings last week after Oregon’s biggest newspaper reported that a Brown appointee had delayed the release of the statistical rankings until after the high-stakes gubernatorial election Nov. 6.
Brown is in a tight race with Republican challenger Rep. Knute Buehler, who has made statewide education funding and reform among his top campaign issues. Oregon ranks third-worst in four-year graduation rates, and the issue is a sensitive one for voters.
School districts have had the annual ranking data since Oct. 4 and had been told they could prepare public statements about their results for release Oct. 25. But in recent days, The Oregonian reported, they were told by state education officials that the data would go public after the election.
Education department Director Colt Gill said that a changeover in federal testing mandates meant the data needed to be presented in a new way, so he decided to delay the release.
