South Portland School Board authorizes superintendent to file Kahler school-closing report amid heated public opposition

The South Portland School Board voted to authorize the superintendent to file a school-closing report with the Maine Commissioner of Education for Kahler Elementary, saying the closure would allow elementary grade reconfiguration and help close a budget shortfall.

The motion, moved by Member Smith and seconded by Member Dowling, directs the superintendent to file under Maine Revised Statutes, Title 20-A §§4102–4103 and contemplates the closure to be effective in the 2026–27 school year. The board recorded the motion as passed after members voting in favor outnumbered the opposition; one member spoke in opposition during the roll call.

Why it matters: The board said reconfiguration and a possible building closure are part of an FY27 budget plan intended to reduce recurring costs and stabilize the district’s finances. Assistant Superintendent Johanna Prince told the board the elementary proposal includes facility savings of roughly $378,000–$400,000 from taking a building offline and said the overall elementary savings in the full proposal are substantially larger. “We feel prepared…