From Newsgroup: alt.law-enforcement
Crazy left wing teachers union blew up the budget.
When a city becomes a hell hole parents and their
students leave. Sadly, from 3 famlies, I have 6 grandchildren,
not a one is in public schools
from
https://readlion.com/portland-public-schools-faces-50-million-budget-deficit-anticipates-mass-layoffs/
Portland Public Schools faces $50 million budget deficit, anticipates
mass layoffs
By Jillian Schneider
Jillian Schneider is a Staff Writer for The Lion. Her work has also
appeared on RealClearEducation, The Federalist, The Heartlander, Acton Institute PowerBlog, and ZuMedia.
The Portland school district will soon be laying off hundreds of
employees to address its $50 million budget gap.
Portland Public Schools (PPS) announced its plan to eliminate about 300 positions in anticipation of massive budget deficit coming next year.
rCLSimply put, expenditures are rising faster than revenues,rCY said PPS
Chief Financial Officer Michelle Morrison. rCLEnrollment is declining, and because so much of our budget goes to staffing, fewer students means
fewer dollars, which also means fewer staff.rCY
PPS has been struggling to stay afloat fiscally for years.
Back in the 2022-23 school year, the district cut $30 million. The next
year, $10 million. The next, $15 million.
This year, it faced $40 million in needed reductions, and now, looking
forward to 2026-27, it faces an additional $50 million.
Part of the problem Portland and other public schools face is the
massive inflation in administrative, non-teaching positions.
Between 2000 and 2019, the student population nationwide grew 8%, the
teacher population 9%, while district administration grew by a massive 88%.
But with so many positions being cut, the Portland teachersrCO union is
afraid educators will be affected too.
rCLI canrCOt imagine how we get to 200 or 300 FTE [Full-Time Equivalent]
cuts without layoffs of educators,rCY said Angela Bonilla, president of
the Portland Association of Teachers (PAT). rCLI do know that some of the
cuts include counselors and other mental health professionals.rCY
However, the union may have contributed to the districtrCOs financial woes.
In the fall of 2023, PAT went on strike with left-wing demands such as:
Professional development on racial equity, restorative justice, implicit
bias, anti-racism and culturally responsive practices
rCLPlay-based curriculum and the right to naprCY for preschool students Universal pre-K for 3-year-olds
No standardized testing beyond state requirements
Housing subsidies for low-income families
It also wanted 21.5% pay raises over three years.
PATrCOs financial demands were so outrageous they were publicly criticized
by Steve Lancaster, the unionrCOs former bargaining chair.
Lancaster blamed the union for overestimating the districtrCOs available
funds and lacking a rCLplausible financial strategy.rCY
rCLMisestimating what they have or what ours costs by $10 or $20 million dollars is not problematic,rCY he wrote, rCLbut getting it wrong by $50 or $100 million, (as happened in this negotiation) can be a disaster.rCY
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