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Good morning, Northwest.

School districts are lobbying Oregon lawmakers for more funding as they stare down mounting budget gaps.

OPB’s Elizabeth Miller sums up solutions being concocted in Salem to try to fix an age-old problem of paying for public education to start today’s newsletter.

In other news, Astoria is restoring its historic riverfront trolley — and working around federally protected sea lions.

Here’s your First Look at Monday’s news.

—Bradley W. Parks

Education funding dance continues as end of Oregon’s short session nears

As school districts prepare to pass budgets for the next school year, they brace for news from Salem.

Will there be enough money in the State School Fund to maintain staffing levels and academic offerings? Will new laws bring new mandates — and new costs? Will school boards have to balance budgets without final funding numbers from the state?

At the same time, superintendents, teachers and students flock to the Capitol to lobby legislators to support education. Districts big and small face budget deficits this year — and they’ve been sharing that news with school communities.

For many districts, including Portland and Salem-Keizer, this year’s budget gaps are on top of cuts they have already had to make over the last few years.

This year, education stakeholders are taking a few different approaches to shore up school funding during Oregon’s short legislative session, with varying degrees of success. (Elizabeth Miller)

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3 things to know this morning

• Flights connecting Portland International Airport with the Mexican cities of Puerto Vallarta and Guadalajara were canceled yesterday after the Mexican army killed the leader of the Jalisco cartel. Airlines have warned that future flights connecting with these cities may be delayed or canceled. (Fabiola Sánchez and OPB staff)
• Ukrainians in Oregon gathered in Pioneer Courthouse Square in Portland yesterday to recognize the fourth anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which has led to the deaths of hundreds of thousands of soldiers and civilians. (Joni Auden Land)
• The Milan Cortina Winter Olympics ended yesterday. Among the 10 Pacific Northwest athletes competing in Italy, Jacqueline Wiles of Portland and Corinne Stoddard of Federal Way, Washington, both took home bronze. (Winston Szeto)

Northwest communities are living under a government crackdown on immigrants

This week, we’re collaborating with the Northwest News Network to bring together three reporters who cover immigration in Oregon and Washington to help us get a sense of how immigrants are being affected across our region. (Jenn Chávez, Holly Bartholomew, Gustavo Sagrero and Johanna Bejarano)

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Headlines from around the Northwest

• Restoring Astoria’s riverfront trolley means working around its sea lions (Kristian Foden-Vencil)
• Evergreen Habitat for Humanity hopes to buy Vancouver mobile home park to build more affordable housing (Erik Neumann)
• UO implores lawmakers to keep wildfire cameras funded through 2027 fiscal year (Brian Bull)
• Judge says feds still can’t enforce noise restrictions outside Eugene Federal Building (Nathan Wilk)
• Lawmakers from Washington request emergency federal funding for the Yakima-Tieton Canal (Courtnet Flatt)
• Springfield gets funds to support additional drinking water source (Rachael McDonald)
• Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission denies petition to alter Dungeness crabbing rules (Brian Bahouth)
• Clingan scores 23 points to lead Trail Blazers past short-handed Suns 92-77 (David Brandt)

Listen in on OPB’s daily conversation

“Think Out Loud” airs at noon and 8 p.m. weekdays on OPB Radio, opb.org and the OPB News app. Today’s planned topics (subject to change):

• New OHSU study finds nearly a third of Medicaid-enrolled physicians don’t see Medicaid patients
• New head of Oregon Public Defense Commission optimistic about future of embattled system
• What does it take to protect Oregon’s bighorn sheep?

Hundreds brave frigid temps, jump into Willamette River for charity

Over the weekend, a couple of dozen people plunged into the frigid Willamette River every hour on the hour.

It’s all part of the Polar Plunge, an annual fundraising event for Special Olympics organizations across the country.

Participants raise funds by participating in a five-kilometer run before diving into freezing cold waters every February.

Emily Rose, vice president of marketing for Special Olympics Oregon, said the event raised more than $300,000 for the organization, which hosts year-round athletic competitions and training for those with intellectual disabilities. (Joni Auden Land)

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News Source : https://www.opb.org/article/2026/02/23/school-funding-oregon-legislature-first-look/