[{"_1":2,"_100":-5,"_101":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6044894,"mediaKeyId","3609454-c865693fd2b88d813658aecaeffeb800","parentId",3609454,"title","Community Budget Review Committee presses board for long‑range fiscal strategy as it backs superintendent's priorities","audioSeconds",5608,"startMs",3308000,"endMs",8916000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3609454-c865693fd2b88d813658aecaeffeb800&start=3308&end=8916","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3609454-c865693fd2b88d813658aecaeffeb800/thumbnail_3308000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6044894/Oregon/Community-Budget-Review-Committee-presses-board-for-longrange-fiscal-strategy-as-it-backs-superintendents-priorities","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6044894-5485bc95c08e505f4c13babd1d3124e3/orig.mp4?Expires=1771032148&Signature=kdtUA07MyQNCIR8Vz3TrRpJ0WQFBAKt1XoS52V53CzqQ-GBQQfK~xX-Mpekh37LL0UDNw35WoLYgfFIjTCUyYGqSn-0oH9vso0Bg5-kzO9RZd9c1lZkPzRaa3Stwe-ZbojSDjudnTwb2GVRD5nvF~~ZQbH-56k5VLdZUVPxZkp~Inw8bdA97cKMJwrg0pC3TDKww7kKhAJkWIEF1~erHu~GeiUKooHENQND89gQ1UzY-76eDHEqfNOritx4sejOTIk7ae~g5QnF9UbctKvtxdIytdh249P1is4D4orYYnnAWHc9ulCNqzn31EwRO415Et-IfTZJXeH6~ywkJ4rAJhg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","PPS Board of Education","date","2025-05-07T16:12:03Z","article","The Portland Public Schools Community Budget Review Committee (CBRC) delivered a 500‑page review of the superintendent’s proposed 2025–26 budget to the school board May 6, urging long‑range structural planning, more transparent benchmarking against the Quality Education Model (QEM) and closer scrutiny of Title I and levy allocations.

Why it matters: the district faces continuing enrollment declines and state funding uncertainty that together squeeze operating capacity. The CBRC warned that without a multi‑year strategy the district risks repeated, deep cuts to staff and programs and long‑term erosion of services aimed at closing racial achievement gaps.

Key findings and recommendations: the CBRC commended the district for trying to protect classroom and special education staff but noted three concerns it flagged repeatedly in its report: a 25 percent Title I holdback pending state and federal decisions, an uneven distribution of Title I reductions that appears to affect Title I schools disproportionately, and the use of one‑time funds to sustain recurring programs. The committee recommended the board ask staff to publish class‑size benchmarking to QEM metrics so the public can see where the district differs from the state model and to report school‑level staffing FTE per student.

The CBRC also urged the board to require clearer reporting on how levy dollars are spent. The committee reported that the local levy supported the equivalent of 744 teaching positions in the most recent year and that number is projected to fall to 718; the committee recommended a public dashboard showing levy allocations and a five‑year sustainability plan for levy reliance.

Other concerns: the committee asked for a more explicit analysis of the district’s blended‑classroom staffing strategy (used to reduce costs by combining grades or looping), more data on overload pay increases, and a better accounting of how general fund and one‑time ESSER allocations have been used to backfill programs.

Board response: directors thanked the CBRC for the depth of the review and asked staff to respond on specific items. Superintendent Armstrong and staff described active monitoring of Title I federal action and noted that the 25 percent holdback was intended to avoid mid‑year staffing disruptions if federal or state allocations change. Staff said they will respond in follow‑up reports and that some peer districts with stronger fund balances had been able to release holdbacks sooner.

What happens next: the CBRC recommended the district develop a structural, multi‑year budget plan, publish comparisons to QEM benchmarks, and produce an updated five‑year forecast tied to reserves and levy projections. The committee will continue to engage with staff as requested and the board asked staff to prepare responses and follow‑up presentations.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","2025-05-06 Board of Education Regular Meeting","oneSentenceSummary","Portland Public Schools’ Community Budget Review Committee presented its annual report May 6, urging multi‑year structural planning, greater transparency on class sizes vs. QEM benchmarks, and clearer public reporting on Title I holdbacks, reserves and levy impacts.","taxTitle","Portland SD 1J, School Districts, Oregon","taxId",14580,"location","Oregon","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6044899,"Board approves minimum criteria to begin search for new Portland Public Schools headquarters; unions and maintenance staff press for more engagement",1876,12120000,13996000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3609454-c865693fd2b88d813658aecaeffeb800&start=12120&end=13996","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3609454-c865693fd2b88d813658aecaeffeb800/thumbnail_12120000.jpg","/articles/6044899/Oregon/Board-approves-minimum-criteria-to-begin-search-for-new-Portland-Public-Schools-headquarters-unions-and-maintenance-staff-press-for-more-engagement","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6044899-59f7c946de29802d13e2afd9a4a599e0/orig.mp4?Expires=1771032148&Signature=Kmb6Q~k6jrqpj2K7VKvR1c39mhBOhIs57ShQAeiS0kn8M1d~LCwVZjE-cK76UqWyYAmZm~9hIBpHH1DrQE9Uq1TfWF6Ij~r1lZHV1TNpGB2BazYda1l4p1inClaNM634HZF0ysXw3lg~6p~WzJxSfH41cTTSgYX8qiMfNlqy9jThwzZCqdoFDXN2R-kWOBaak4w29YudbC9VX8J9CfKxzY2oITsMLxujTNQZ2pQ6WQddSX8J4iVsU8Vv7WYdjtmUWfbS8qk6EMKGJMPXHAqBzBN0kb87001WaR2-Mh8WlZp-IbZ1yf4huUcECWj0hSoGv1Ga5LMtvoAxemM28Z8Irw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Portland Public Schools Board of Education voted May 6 to approve minimum criteria that allow staff to begin a formal property search to relocate the district’s administrative and operations offices now housed at the Dr. Matthew Prophet Education Center (PEC). The board approved Resolution 7103 by a vote of 6–0 with one abstention.

Why it matters: Albina Vision Trust (AVT) is pursuing redevelopment of the PEC site in Northeast Portland; that proposal depends on PPS relocating its headquarters. The board’s approval authorizes staff to solicit property proposals that meet a set of nine minimum criteria — ownership (not leased), central access, on‑site parking, safety and the ability to meet PPS functional needs — and to advance test‑fit analysis for candidate properties.

District staff framed the approval as the start of a multi‑phase process. Dan Young, chief operating officer, said the minimum criteria are deliberately specific enough to rule out properties that obviously won’t work while remaining broad enough to allow “promising, unconventional, and unforeseen options” to surface. Young said the next step is a market solicitation and then test‑fits and staff and stakeholder review of candidate sites. \"Approval of the minimum criteria enables staff to move forward in a focused strategic way,\" he told the board.

Albina Vision Trust leaders said approval would unlock the next stage for a redevelopment plan they say includes housing, an education hub and community space. Winta Yohannes, AVT executive director, described the relocation as a step toward what she called a “nationally precedent‑setting, child‑centered redevelopment” and noted public, private and nonprofit partners who have pledged support.

Union leaders, maintenance staff and shop technicians asked the board to delay or expand the scope of engagement before moving on. Kelly Bond, president of the District Council of Unions (DCU), and Elizabeth Held, interim president of the Portland Federation of School Professionals, urged the board to require an explicit staff engagement plan so that trades and operations employees are not excluded from planning, and warned against large reductions to shop and storage space shown in a consultant appendix. Adam Maurer, an electrical maintenance technician, said the study’s recommendation to shrink the electrical shop from 12,526 square feet to 2,975 would be a 76 percent reduction and would impair the district’s ability to store hard‑to‑find parts and respond quickly to building needs.

Board response and next steps: Several directors said they shared concerns about adequate engagement. Director Greene asked that the superintendent present a comprehensive PEC staff engagement plan to the board at the June 24 meeting that lays out schedules, meeting formats, test‑fit involvement and how staff feedback will be incorporated; the superintendent agreed. Staff also said the square‑footage figures in the consultants’ technical appendix were preliminary minimums and that functional test‑fits and staff review would determine final space needs — including vertical storage and ceiling heights that can reduce footprint by increasing usable volume.

Clarifying details included in meeting materials: the PEC currently has 318 on‑site owned parking stalls (488 including leased and off‑site agreements), and the district’s high‑level program assumptions anticipated roughly 300,000 square feet total across administration and operations (about 100,000 sf office and 200,000 sf operations as a planning reference), though staff said those numbers are mutable pending test fits. The consultants presented three general schemes — collocated administration and operations, two separate buildings (administration + operations), and two buildings with selected administrative departments colocated with operations.

What was decided: the board approved the minimum criteria so staff can issue a property solicitation and begin test‑fits and site evaluations. Board members also secured a commitment that staff will return with a public PEC staff engagement plan by the June 24 board meeting and will use department‑level review and test‑fit walkthroughs to refine program sizes before any property purchase or binding commitments.

Ending: The vote starts a market search and technical evaluation process; final decisions about any site, building sizes and transitions will come back to the board after test fits, staff engagement and cost analysis. Union leaders said they will continue to press for full trade participation in that work.","The board approved minimum criteria to start a search for replacement facilities for the Dr. Matthew Prophet Education Center, a decision tied to the proposed Albina Vision Trust redevelopment. Staff and union representatives urged fuller engagement and questioned proposed reductions in shop/storage footprints.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6044904,"Portland schools board commits to seismic upgrades in 2025 bond, creates ongoing oversight",1714,9030000,10744000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3609454-c865693fd2b88d813658aecaeffeb800&start=9030&end=10744","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3609454-c865693fd2b88d813658aecaeffeb800/thumbnail_9030000.jpg","/articles/6044904/Oregon/Portland-schools-board-commits-to-seismic-upgrades-in-2025-bond-creates-ongoing-oversight","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6044904-b9790e8d9ff88ffa4caca685b5a673ed/orig.mp4?Expires=1771032148&Signature=Tf09vhIbCZmfUK~pEb2vi39c9cIeJdQRmvXPSd4uRhr0NblPqj3e6Ls1Sg3vBx6pvYwCFdlB69BxXdazY-jBhs4mRu39GGNT3cvEjQjtJxl5gULfSCI1p07jG2zF6TXnHPKspMGVFLqB5R~t9JYXrWuCzWXGiz2hZewB2QmrMEyfPh0PVPoeoDOlyTijRmEZMeHEwvuNp-VTeVNxG92j1wC7-ksBPMqCiZovinq~Fl9jPgJ0WAsxonmsFskucXV00zI-FDVvxfQ6KeF7g0SJ~yO~Ka4g2oNgYP4x6m-AakJ97OGbu6O2UU96Z3aQZhd-PdflcCRy~sWTzmeotQV7uA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Portland Public Schools Board of Education voted unanimously May 6 to make seismic safety a binding priority of the district’s 2025 school‑modernization bond and to require regular public reporting and committee oversight of retrofit planning.

The board adopted Resolution 7109, titled “Urgent need for seismic retrofitting of high‑risk school buildings,” and Resolution 7110, which directs the School Facilities Improvement and Operations Committee to meet regularly and report findings and engagement back to the full board. Both measures were approved 7–0. Student representative Kensevy indicated a strong yes.

Why it matters: the district’s oldest elementary and middle schools include unreinforced‑masonry construction and other seismic deficiencies that engineers say would put students and staff at disproportionate risk in a major earthquake. Directors and community speakers told the board that investing bond funds now would reduce that risk and provide public clarity about priorities for limited bond dollars.

During the board discussion, Dan Young, Portland Public Schools chief operating officer, summarized the district’s three‑phase seismic process: a districtwide facility assessment already completed last year, engineering recommendations on return‑on‑investment for seismic interventions, and a PPS prioritization that will factor in occupancy, possible school consolidations and schedule feasibility. Young said, \"We expect to see the recommendations ... sometime this summer, probably in July.\" The resolutions ask the superintendent to present a comprehensive, equity‑focused risk‑reduction plan and regular progress reports to the board.

Parents and community members urged rapid action. Catalina Gonzalez, a Beverly Cleary parent, told the board, “Every child deserves a safe place to learn,” and said she had carried concern about her neighborhood school’s condition for years. John DiVolio, a Grant Park neighbor, noted a 2011 assessment of Beverly Cleary that flagged the prevalence of unreinforced masonry and asked that the board make funding available for those higher‑risk, multistory elementary and middle schools first.

Board members stressed that the bond package already includes dedicated capital for modernization and seismic work and that the state also has funding programs that might be combined with local bond dollars. Several directors said the resolutions balance specificity about priority (highest‑risk schools) with flexibility for staff and engineers to shape final scopes and schedules. Director Split said the resolutions “create the roadmap and an allocation” while preserving staff expertise to set technical details.

What the board directed next: staff will finish the engineer’s prioritization and present the recommended seismic risk‑reduction plan this summer. The School Facilities Improvement and Operations Committee will hold regular meetings to review findings and public engagement; the board added that the audit committee and the bond accountability body should continue to receive periodic reports. The resolutions do not obligate the board to any particular property transaction or final project until the board approves specific bond expenditures.

The vote marks the first formal, board‑level commitment to prioritizing seismic retrofits within the 2025 bond and to ongoing public oversight of progress. Community groups said they will mobilize to support the bond in the campaign phase once the board completes technical and cost analyses.

Ending: The board’s action puts seismic retrofitting among the top priorities during the bond planning and signals a timetable for staff to return with engineering analyses and an implementation plan this summer. The board and staff emphasized they will continue to evaluate state funding matches and to keep the public informed through committee reporting and community engagement.","The Portland Public Schools board unanimously approved two resolutions committing 2025 bond resources to priority seismic retrofits of high‑risk elementary and middle schools and set up regular committee tracking and public engagement to guide implementation.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Community Budget Review Committee presses board for long‑range fiscal strategy as it backs superintendent's priorities

Board approves minimum criteria to begin search for new Portland Public Schools headquarters; unions and maintenance staff press for more engagement

Portland schools board commits to seismic upgrades in 2025 bond, creates ongoing oversight