Community survey and CBRC report put classroom instruction, staff retention and special education at top of budget priorities

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: The district faces an estimated $40 million operating gap for 2025–26, a figure referenced by Superintendent Armstrong during her report. Staff said the engagement findings will shape staffing and program recommendations the superintendent will bring to the board.

Highlights from staff presentation: - Survey responses: about 70% of responses were from parents or families; roughly 13% from teaching staff and about 7.6% from other school staff, according to materials presented by staff. - Top priorities: respondents rated classroom instruction highest among nine categories; community comments emphasized hiring and retaining quality staff and prioritizing special education. - Engagement themes: staff reported demand for sustained state advocacy to address unfunded mandates and special education funding caps.

Public comment at the meeting focused on student‑facing positions that speakers said had been reduced or were at risk. Shannon Fasold, a high‑school career coordinator at Lincoln High School, described the career coordinator role as a school’s primary classified staff contact for students seeking work, internships and support; she said career coordinator positions at every high school were removed from district‑funded staffing in the most recent staffing sheets and urged the board to find ways to preserve those roles.

Student and community advocates raised related concerns: student council and CTE supporters said career and technical education keeps some students engaged and urged the board not to cut core student programs. Chief staff and CBRC members acknowledged school leaders had requested more autonomy to allocate staffing across building needs; staff said principals would receive site‑level FTE allocations and could choose how to deploy those positions within the district’s core program rules.

What the board directed: The board used the session to ask follow‑up questions and requested continued community engagement and clearer public materials. District staff said more detailed staffing sheets and a “heat map” showing shifts year‑to‑year would be provided as schools finalize staffing decisions.

What’s next: Staff will continue targeted engagement this spring and return to the board with budget recommendations and updated staffing allocations. The district encouraged community members to continue submitting feedback through the budget feedback form on the PPS website.