Portland, OR – Layoffs are now on the table, along with the earlier proposed school closures, as Portland Public Schools wrestles with a $65-million-dollar budget deficit.
At a Monday press conference, ahead of a Tuesday night school board meeting, Portland Public Schools’ Superintendent Kimberlee Armstrong said as many as 450 FTE positions may be cut from the schools and the central office. About 223 positions would be teachers or school staff. “We always look at reductions furthest away from the classroom knowing that every single position that we have impacts what happens in the classroom, but we do start off with central office first,” Armstrong said.
Armstrong defended the layoffs and plans to close as many as 14 schools next year. “Our student enrollment continues to decline, and because our funding is largely determined by the number of students we serve, fewer students means fewer dollars coming into our district, even as the costs of operating our schools continued to rise.”
Armstrong added that about $40 million of the $65 million-dollar deficit is driven by increased PERS retirement costs alone.
PPS Chief Financial Officer Michelle Morrison said this isn’t just a Portland issue. She called on Governor Tina Kotek to help the district balance its budget before layoff and plans are finalized. “The Governor should consider accessing $500-million from the Ed Stability Fund to buy down the PERS rate for schools across the state,” she said.
Superintendent Armstrong has been on a listening tour for the past few weeks, hearing from families who are against the three school closure scenarios unveiled in October. Option A would close 14 schools across the district. Option B would only close 11. A third option would defer any closure decision and maintain the current configuration.
Officials expect a packed house when Portland Public Schools’ Board of Education meets Tuesday evening, from 6 to 8 pm, at Benson High School. District staff are expected to give an update and results of community feedback on the proposed “rightsizing” plan and school closures.
Superintendent Armstrong will present her recommendations for closures on November 17th. The board is expected to vote on final closure decisions on December 15th.
