South Portland School Board hears sharp public pushback on elementary reconfiguration as leaders present nine budget scenarios

South Portland — South Portland Public Schools leaders presented nine preliminary budget scenarios at a March 2 workshop, including grade‑level reconfiguration and possible school closures, and said they will present a modeled superintendent budget next week unless the board signals otherwise.

Assistant Superintendent Johanna Prince said the leadership team ranked three plans as most promising, with plan 1.7 — which would close one elementary school and shift to grade‑band configurations — scoring highest on combined educational and financial criteria. "We have tried to think about as many possible solutions," Prince said, urging the board to give direction so the district can refine models for the superintendent's FY‑27 budget.

The district's finance director, Abigail Ketchin, said the materials include nine preliminary scenarios and stressed each carries different year‑one and long‑term costs and staffing impacts. Ketchin told the board the presentations model moving costs, potential portables and FTE reductions and cautioned that some scenarios require purchasing or renting modular classroom units; the district modeled a purchase price of $270,000…