In 2007 Sam Adams announced his candidacy for mayor, saying, “Nearly half of our middle and high school students drop out. This is a desperate problem, and one that we cannot expect our school boards to solve on their own. As Mayor, reducing the drop-out rate will be a citywide, all-hands-on-deck priority.” Blue Oregon, October 4, 2007.

Months later, the United States entered the worst economic recession since the Great Depression and Portland was one of the hardest hit cities.

Adams soon had plenty of real-world political justification to reconsider his pledge to support local schools.

“Portlanders, it's not your imagination. The recession has hit harder here than just about anywhere else in the world.” Oregonian newspaper, November 30, 2010.

Portland city government does not run the five public school districts that operate within its boundaries. City government is responsible for providing basic services such as police, fire, streets and parks services. The recession in 2009 opened a yawning gap between forecasted ongoing city government revenues and the cost of providing current services.

Regardless, on helping Portland’s high school students most at risk of dropping out, Adams didn’t flinch.

In his first year as Mayor, he cut ongoing general fund city spending by $8.9 million -- with about 59-percent of reductions coming from administrative savings.

In his February 27, 2009 annual state of the city speech, Adams said, “I want to emphasize the importance of K-18 public education… I want to share a staggering fact with you: Oregon spends 3.4 times as much per prisoner as per public school pupil. Combine this with the fact that only 57 percent of Portland city students complete high school. This means a 43 percent drop-out rate. The rate is even more staggering for students of color.”

“Portland may see the highest teen unemployment in recent history this summer. By providing employment opportunities for at-risk youth, we will promote education and economic development while having a positive impact on public safety.”

In his 2009 budget, Adams increased funding for youth programs by 40%, focusing programs to keep at-risk youth in school, including:

• $744,250 for career and college exposure, internships, work experience, and summer school

• $150,000 for environmental education and invasive species removal

• $137,000 for the Youth Planning program, and

• $500,000 for teen programming at the Parks Bureau.

In his Spring 2009 state of the city speech, He noted that students who do not perform well academically in eighth grade are nearly 3 times as likely to leave school. Identifying these students early and supporting them through key transitions can increase their likelihood of success.