Anticipating federal support to save teaching jobs, the Portland School Board tonight agreed with Superintendent Carole Smith to maintain physical education at younger grades and make fewer cuts to high school staffing.
In May, the Portland School Board approved a $456 million budget for the 2010-11 school year that filled a $16 million shortfall using PPS reserves. However, Oregon’s stagnant economy led the state to cut an additional $19 million in funding for PPS..
To balance the budget, Superintendent Carole Smith now will move forward with the following budget cuts totaling just over $13 million:
-
Central operations and supports: $3.1 million, including up to 25 full-time employees.
- Special education and English as a second language: $4.6 million reduction, including up to the equivalent of 52 full-time teaching positions. PPS will ensure compliance with federal and state regulations.
- School staffing: $5.6 million reduction, including the equivalent of approximately 62 full-time teaching positions.
A more detailed list of reductions is available
here.
The school staffing cuts mean less than a 3 percent reduction in schools’ general fund staff positions. Superintendent Smith will give principals authority to decide how to reduce staff, as long as they preserve at least a half-time PE teacher in the younger grades and keep their libraries staffed – with an assistant or media specialist – at least half time. High schools will keep moving toward a core program, although elective offerings might be reduced and class sizes increased.
Earlier this summer, Smith presented options for $11.6 million in school staffing cuts, including eliminating PE in grades K-8 and eliminating 60 high school teaching positions, partially mitigated by having all teachers teach at least six classes.
However, Congress is considering an Education Jobs Act designed to preserve teachers’ jobs at hard-hit school districts across the country. Superintendent Smith believes it is reasonable to anticipate the act will pass, allowing PPS to make far smaller cuts to schools now.
“We must reduce our costs and consider all options but we can’t look past the fact that we have a revenue problem in this state,” said Director David Wynde. “PE is the canary in the coal mine and Oregon is not adequately funding K-12 education. If you support PE, if you support the arts or music, please stay with us, stay vocal and stay in front of the elected officials that control our funding.”
The school board has encouraged PPS families and friends to support quick action on the federal legislation by contacting
Sen. Ron Wyden or 202-224-5244 and
Sen. Jeff Merkley or 202-224-3753.
The board will vote on formal amendments to the 2010-11 budget at a later meeting, after the federal vote on education funding.
School naming
Also at the meeting, the school board unanimously approved Superintendent Smith’s recommendation to name the K-8 school formed by the merger of Clarendon Elementary and Portsmouth Middle schools: César Chávez K-8 School.
This spring, a volunteer naming committee formed to gather school and community input on a name for the K-8 school. The committee accepted all suggestions during the brainstorm phase of the process. Suggestions were reviewed by committee members for compliance with school board policy and level of support.
The committee created a list of finalists and distributed it to students, staff, families and residents in the Portsmouth neighborhood for feedback. Of the finalists, César Chávez had the highest level of support among community members.
School board leadership.
As it does every January and July, the Portland School Board directors elected co-chairs to lead their meetings for the next six months. Directors Trudy Sargent and Pam Knowles will co-chair the board, with Director Sargent presiding at the full board meetings.
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