Back to School Prep Looks a lot Different in Oregon

Photo credit: Craig Mitchelldyer, AP

Back to school prep for Oregon students looked a lot different this year.

In addition to picking out their outfits for the first day and packing up their backpacks, there were a few extra items students and their parents had to check off their list as rising crime, a homeless crisis, and record high costs wreak havoc on the state.

At the same time violent crime ran rampant last weekend, city officials scrambled to try to clear the homeless camps that overtake property near schools and dominate the walking routes children take to get there. As reported by KGW, one Portland father even had to beg the city to clear the camps outside of his home so his disabled six year-old son could safely get on the bus.

All the while, parents are having to pay more than ever before on school supplies as still-high prices and inflation do nothing but exacerbate the already struggling affordability problems in the state.

“Oregon Democrats like Tina Kotek and Betsy Johnson, both of whom helped pass bad policies that created these crises, should have to answer to the parents wondering how their state went so wrong so fast,” said RGA Spokeswoman Kaitlin Price. “As kids head back to school this week, there is no doubt that crime, homelessness, and inflation are a top concern for voters terrified of the reality of their state under Democrat control.”