Portland Public Schools committee reviews draft nonpartisan legislative engagement plan, plans spring outreach

PORTLAND, Maine — The Portland Public Schools Public & Legislative Affairs Committee on Dec. 8 reviewed fall community engagement feedback and discussed plans for spring outreach, including a draft nonpartisan legislative engagement toolkit presented by Dr. Valenzuela.

Chair Sarah Lentz opened the meeting and said the committee’s short agenda would cover review of the fall sessions, planning for spring and a discussion of Dr. Valenzuela’s draft position paper, which the presenter described as a working draft for committee feedback. Lentz told members she would add city bill‑tracking information to the district tracker before the end of the year.

Dr. Valenzuela framed the proposal as nonpartisan and learner centered, arguing that the district — “the largest and most diverse school district in the state” — has distinct needs that state policy may affect differently than other districts. The draft recommends transparency and collaboration and outlines stakeholder‑specific strategies: encouraging staff to provide student‑centered examples to lawmakers, offering family‑friendly, multilingual materials for parents and adult learners, and recruiting community partners to reduce barriers to participation through interpretation, space and transportation.

On implementation, Dr. Valenzuela proposed creating a districtwide legislative engagement toolkit with talking points, templates and guidance; designating voluntary legislative liaisons for each school and adult‑education program; and using existing communication channels (including a regular column in school and district newsletters) to share clear, accessible legislative information. Staff stressed that language access must be central to all materials.

Committee members welcomed the draft but urged a pragmatic rollout. Board members recommended starting with a compact set of resources that explain how the legislature works, how to submit testimony and simple templates for contacting legislators. One member said the first phase should provide “really simple concrete ways” for newcomers to take action. Members also advised partnering with organizations experienced in advocacy communications to help produce materials and hosted events.

The committee discussed timing and format for spring engagement. Members reported stronger attendance in the fall and highlighted the multilingual session and a well‑attended meeting at the United Way. The group agreed to aim for March sessions scheduled after the district’s budget presentation — with a mix of two morning sessions (one multilingual), one 6 p.m. in‑person session and one virtual evening session — while acknowledging scheduling constraints and school and staff capacity. The committee also discussed offering childcare at evening sessions to reduce barriers to participation.

Chair Lentz said Representative Brennan will attend the next meeting to brief the committee on bills he sponsors, and the committee agreed to identify three to five priority bills for community engagement in the new year. Lentz said the committee’s early success measures should focus on civic participation (for example, the number of submitted testimonies) rather than immediate changes to legislative outcomes.

The meeting concluded with a motion to adjourn, seconded by Board member Noor, and a voice vote; Chair Lentz announced the meeting adjourned at 8:29 p.m. The committee will reconvene next week for Representative Brennan’s briefing and revisit toolkit development in January.

Sources: Public & Legislative Affairs Committee meeting transcript, Dec. 8.