Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Community survey and CBRC report put classroom instruction, staff retention and special education at top of budget priorities
Summary
A Community Budget Review Committee presentation and district survey results showed classroom instruction, hiring/retention and special education as top priorities; public commenters urged the board to preserve career‑coordinator positions and other student‑facing roles amid $40 million in proposed reductions.
At its March 4 meeting the Portland Public Schools Board heard a detailed briefing from the Community Budget Review Committee and district staff on community engagement and survey results used to shape the 2025–26 budget process.
Chief Financial Officer Michelle Morrison and senior director Nicole Watson described a multi‑phase outreach program that the district said reached families, staff and partner organizations through virtual town halls, school‑level meetings and a community survey that received roughly 4,000 responses. The online survey rated classroom instruction and teacher quality as the highest public priorities; open‑ended comments most frequently urged reductions in class size, better hiring and retention of staff, and full funding of special education services.
Why it matters:…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
