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Parents and teachers press board to pause elementary reconfiguration; recall paperwork filed against chair
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Summary
Dozens of parents, teachers and staff urged the South Portland Board of Education to pause an accelerated elementary reconfiguration and reconsider cuts to special-education and related-arts staff. One resident announced an affidavit to recall Board Chair Rosemarie DeAngelis.
More than an hour of public comment at the South Portland Board of Education's April 7 meeting centered on a single issue: the board's decision to pursue an accelerated elementary reconfiguration this August while simultaneously cutting many student-facing positions.
Across 75 minutes of the first public-comment block and a second session later in the evening, parents, teachers and community members described what they called inadequate planning, unclear cost estimates for moving and transportation, and threats to safety in functional life-skills (FLS) special-education classrooms if occupational therapists and ed techs are reduced.
"We are angry that the Administration and some members of the Board seem to have taken advantage of a moment of weakness for the community," said resident Andy Lubershane, summarizing a community theme that the process has moved faster than stakeholders were prepared for.
Multiple educators described chronic staff shortages and daily safety stresses in FLS classrooms. An ed tech from Dyer Elementary said the classroom has been understaffed for most of the year and warned that proposed cuts could make rooms unsafe. "These staff members make our schools more welcoming, inclusive, and safe," the ed tech said.
Teachers' union leaders presented survey results and testimony that many staff are demoralized: the union reported that a significant majority of surveyed members expressed negative views of morale and that 75% urged cutting higher-level administration rather than student-facing positions. Union leaders and classroom teachers asked the board to slow the timeline, prioritize transitions and increase teacher compensation for required summer work.
At least two commenters raised formal civic actions: a speaker said they had filed an affidavit with the city clerk seeking recall of Board Chair Rosemarie DeAngelis, and another said petitions are being prepared to challenge aspects of the proposed closure or reconfiguration.
Administration officials acknowledged the volume of concerns and committed to additional listening sessions, more detailed cost work, and continued meet-and-consult bargaining with associations. Assistant Superintendent Johanna Prince said the administration had prioritized completing a balanced budget and would return with more analysis and answers to detailed logistical questions.
Next steps: public commenters asked the board to pause reconfiguration, request more teacher input and present clear implementation plans (transportation, start/end times, IEP transitions, PTA continuity) before acting. Several board members asked that the administration synthesize listening-session feedback and bring a staff-focused summary to the board for review.
