Portland board adopts resolution committing to equity, directs external audit
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Summary
The Portland Public Schools Board of Education unanimously passed a resolution Dec. 16 affirming commitment to equity, directing an external equity audit and creating an ad hoc appointments committee to solicit proposals and report quarterly to the board.
The Portland Public Schools Board of Education unanimously adopted a resolution Dec. 16 affirming the district’s commitment to equity, belonging and safety for students and staff and directing steps that include regular training, creation of an equity dashboard and hiring an outside firm to conduct a district-wide equity audit.
Chair Lentz read the resolution into the record, citing district demographics and asking the superintendent and leadership to continue activities ‘‘such as delivering regular districtwide training with the goal of ensuring all staff can recognize acts of bias or discrimination, interrupt and deescalate harmful behaviors, prevent escalation, and act as strong allies for students and colleagues.’’ The resolution also directs development of an equity dashboard to be reviewed quarterly by the board and formation of an ad hoc board committee to solicit and review proposals for an external audit.
The resolution responds to weeks of public comment alleging hostile work-environment issues and disproportionate harms to staff and students from historically marginalized communities. Resident Rachel Talbot Ross asked whether the district had opened an investigation into repeated claims of racial discrimination and whether a resolution without deliverables could address current harms; the board replied that personnel complaints must be filed through the district’s online reporting process and that confidentiality limits public detail.
Mohammed Barre, executive director of Maine Access Immigrant Network, said the community seeks ‘‘clarity and accountability’’ after the removal of two staff members; the board’s resolution tasks an appointments committee to identify and hire an external firm to complete a district-wide review, with findings to go directly to the board and to inform action planning.
Chair Lentz moved the measure and, after a roll-call vote, announced the resolution passed. Lentz said she will convene the appointments committee ‘‘to start the ad hoc committee process’’ and that the board will receive quarterly and executive-session reports on findings and outcomes as allowed by law.
The board’s resolution lists several specific actions it directs: expand Wabanaki Studies and local Black history curriculum work, strengthen processes for reporting harassment and discrimination (including multilingual access), consider creating a civil-rights officer with structural independence, develop communities of practice for staff and allocate funds for ongoing community healing work.
The resolution text also directs staff to include consideration of the fiscal-year 2027 budget for exploring centralizing formal discrimination and harassment complaints under a single independent position and to analyze budget implications for any recommended organizational changes.
The board scheduled additional follow-up: the appointments committee will solicit proposals, return suitable proposals to the board for a formal vote, and support integration of recommended actions into the district strategic plan.
