In Oregon, schools are reopening, but some students feel safer at home Years of maintenance issues within Portland schools have brewed mistrust of safety measures for COVID-19. A year after schools across Oregon closed down due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Portland schools now are rushing to prepare classrooms for a return to in-person learning. But not everyone is ready to go back to school. Danny Cage, a sophomore at Grant High School, said as a student of color with underlying health issues, he doesn't feel safe attending school in person yet. "I'm high risk and I have people in my house who are high risk," the teen said. "Even if I'm not sick, it's not safe to bring that back to anyone in my house."