Portland Parks official tells Parkrose board SUN sites provide stability but face funding threats

A representative of Portland Parks and Recreation described the city’s SUN after‑school sites and told the Parkrose School District Board that stable funding and experienced site managers are critical to program continuity.

Travis Richardson, introduced as the district’s SUN extension coordinator and a long‑time Parks site manager, outlined how Parks‑run SUN sites differ from other lead agencies: Parks’ sites receive consistent funding and collective‑bargaining protections for staff, Richardson said, which reduces turnover and helps maintain programming continuity. Richardson said a typical SUN site life cycle after a lead‑agency change can be 18 months to four years, and that turnover often forces cancellation of program terms and loss of institutional knowledge.

Why it matters: Richardson said SUN programming serves dozens of students per site (he cited typical daily ranges of about 35–60 students at the high‑school site) and partners with community groups for case management, summer jobs, unified athletics and other services. He warned that proposed budget cuts to Parks and Recreation could endanger local SUN funding and disrupt services for families.

Supporting details: Richardson described partnerships with agencies such as Latino Network and WorkSystems’ SummerWorks, and cited specific program successes including a Unified Basketball team that began as a senior project and later grew into a broader program. He said the city’s Parks budget faces possible reductions (he cited a figure of about $23,000,000 as a potential cut discussed at the city level) and noted that Parks sites that are not exempt from competitive RFP processes may change lead agencies when contracts are rebid.

Board response and next steps: board members and district staff discussed upcoming advocacy meetings with city councilors and the mayor and planned to share site‑level stories and student voices in those conversations. Richardson encouraged district officials to emphasize SUN’s stabilizing role and institutional knowledge when meeting funders and city officials.

Ending: Richardson concluded by offering to provide historical context and data to district leaders and said he would pursue memoranda of understanding with partner agencies when needed to restore or maintain services.