Homeschool benefits and savings in Portland
The Parks Access Discount takes 25%, 50%, 75%, or 90% off Portland Parks & Recreation classes, camps, swim lessons, preschool, and pool and community center admission for 12 months. Anyone who lives in the City of Portland can sign up with no proof of income, and nothing on the program page ties it to school enrollment.
Who qualifies
Lives in the City of Portland
The discount is for people who live within Portland city limits. The page lists no school, age, or enrollment requirement, so a homeschooled child qualifies on residency.
Picks a level by need
You choose 25%, 50%, 75%, or 90% off. Suggested income guidelines run from $49,000 for a single adult to $58,000 for a family of two or three, $66,000 for four, $74,000 for five, and $83,000 for six, but no proof is required.
Registers each person
Each person in your household who will use the discount registers for their own Access Discount, including each child.
What the discount saves
Portland Parks & Recreation's own price examples; fees vary by program.
- 10 swim lessons at full price
- $60
- 10 swim lessons at 75% off
- $15
- 10 swim lessons at 90% off
- $6
- $200 youth community center camp at 50% off
- $100
- $200 youth community center camp at 90% off
- $20
- $106 adult 20-visit pass at 90% off
- $10.60
Camp deposits drop by the same share: the $40 deposit on a $200 camp becomes $4 at 90% off.
How to get the discount
- Before you enroll
Choose a discount level
Compare your household income with the suggested guidelines and pick 25%, 50%, 75%, or 90% off.
- Any time
Register for the discount
Sign up online for your chosen level, call 503-823-2525 (phone interpretation is provided), or ask at any Portland Parks & Recreation facility.
- After you enroll
Sign up for activities
Register for classes, camps, or a 20-visit or monthly pass, and the discount comes off eligible activities automatically. For drop-in visits, mention the Access Discount Program so staff can look it up or print a pass.
- 12 months later
Discount ends
The discount is valid for 12 months from your enrollment date. The page does not describe renewal, so ask Reservations and Payments how to enroll again.
What it includes
Included
- Recreation center and pool admission
- Classes, camps, and swim lessons
- Preschool and after-school programs
- Personal training
- 20-visit and monthly passes
The 2020 Parks Levy pays for the Access Discount Program.
Who to contact about the discount
Reservations and Payments enrolls families in the discount and handles requests for more help, Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 4:55 p.m.
ReservationsandPayments@PortlandOregon.gov 503-823-2525 Access Discount page
Homeschool rules and statewide help in Oregon
You must notify your local Education Service District (ESD) within 10 days of withdrawing from school, or of the school year's start if not withdrawing. You must notify the ESD if you leave your school district or stop homeschooling. After a move to a new ESD, notify the new ESD within 10 days.
Oregon sets these rules:
- Subjects: Oregon does not require specific subjects or a particular curriculum.
- Testing: Use an approved standardized test by August 15 after grades 3, 5, 8, and 10, subject to the initial 18-month testing grace period and disability-plan alternatives. Interscholastic participants meet annual testing or district-adopted alternative academic-evidence requirements, which may include an approved portfolio or work sample.
- Records: Keep test results and submit them to the Education Service District when requested. Retaining the ESD notification acknowledgment is also recommended.
- Teachers: Oregon does not require a teaching certificate or degree to homeschool your own child.
Read the Oregon homeschooling guide See statewide programs in Oregon
Questions parents ask
- What if 90% off with the Access Discount is still more than we can pay?
- Ask for more help. Call Reservations and Payments at 503-823-2525, or talk to the program staff or the Customer Service Center, about an additional discount.
- Does the Access Discount work for drop-in swims and open gym?
- Yes. Admission to recreation centers and pools is included. Tell the front desk you are in the Access Discount Program.
- Can I sign up the whole family at once?
- No. Each discount user registers separately, so enroll yourself and each child who will take part in activities.
- Does the Access Discount lower camp deposits?
- Yes, by the same share.
Turn support into your child’s next lesson
Camps and local activities give your child new interests to explore. Their discoveries can shape the examples and questions they study at home.
$149/month per child after the trial.
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