The Portland school district would close two schools and eliminate more than 100 teaching positions under a budget plan being rolled out Monday.
Superintendent Carole Smith’s budget falls more than $30 million short of what’s required to continue the current service level at Portland Public Schools.
The cuts that could prove most controversial are the plans to close two schools in North Portland: the Harriett Tubman Young Women’s Academy and Humboldt Elementary. The district also intends to eliminate Outdoor School.
Smith’s plan spends $7 million of reserves. It saves more than $9 million in the district office, including a reduction of 34 jobs. It saves $10 million more by cutting 110 teaching positions.
District officials say the teacher cuts could be reduced if they can reach an agreement with the teachers’ union to cut days from the school calendar. Each day is worth about $1.4 million.
The district is also losing federal money for low-income students. It’s dealing with that by requiring schools have a higher proportion of poor families to qualify for that money – and by sending less money to those schools.
