"I directed the Department of Education today to release the data they have regarding annual performance measures in our schools," Brown said in a prepared statement.

PORTLAND, Ore. — Oregon Gov. Kate Brown said Wednesday she has instructed the Oregon Department of Education to release its annual school performance ratings.

“I directed the Department of Education today to release the data they have regarding annual performance measures in our schools," Brown said in a prepared statement.

From The Oregonian/OregonLive: Click here to see the newly released information for your school

Oregon schools chief Colt Gill, who was appointed by Brown, had announced earlier that the release of the ratings would be delayed until after the high-stakes Nov. 6 election.

Gill said the delay had nothing do with the election.

He said he decided to delay the release because materials to help struggling school districts were not ready yet and because changes in federal law unfairly skewed results for schools where many students opted out of standardized testing.

Department spokesman Marc Siegel said the release was moved back so it could launch a website to fight chronic absenteeism and because it’s taking longer to handle the ratings of schools who had too few students take state tests.

The statistical rankings have been in school districts’ hands since Oct. 4 in preparation for the originally scheduled Oct. 25 release of the ratings to the public, according to The Oregonian/OregonLive.

The move comes as Brown is locked in a tight race with Republican challenger Knute Buehler, who has made statewide education reform a top campaign issue.

Oregon schools statewide rank third-worst in graduation rates and absenteeism is rife.