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Community urges Portland Public Schools to restore RESJ partnerships as budget trims funding
Summary
Students, families and providers urged the Portland Public Schools board to restore proposed cuts to Racial Equity and Social Justice (RESJ) partnerships, saying the programs provide culturally responsive supports that improve attendance, graduation and student well-being. District staff said RSJ contract reductions total about $1.2 million and pledged detailed contract breakdowns.
Hundreds of community members urged the Portland Public Schools board, meeting as the budget committee, to restore funding for Racial Equity and Social Justice partnerships after staff proposed reductions in the draft 2026–27 budget.
"These partnerships further meet the need for equity within PPS," Jalil Shamsuddin, compliance manager at Self Enhancement, Inc., testified, urging the board to "restore RESJ funding in full," and warning the cuts would reduce trusted supports for students who are Black, Native, immigrant and multilingual.
School staff, students and nonprofit leaders described measurable gains from RESJ-funded programs. A speaker who represented Da Vinci Arts Middle School read data that Latino student favorable safety ratings rose from 53% to 72% and described measurable academic gains and attendance improvements tied to Latino Network programming. "These outcomes underscore the role of the RESJ programs," the testimony said.
Why it matters: speakers and providers said RESJ contracts fund mentoring, mental-health supports, family engagement and culturally grounded services that prevent absenteeism and behavioral crises and support graduation. Several witnesses said cuts would shift costs into schools later and damage long-term outcomes for vulnerable students.
District response and numbers: Director Sullivan asked staff how large the RSJ reduction would be. Superintendent Armstrong and staff answered that the district had reduced RSJ contract allocations by about $1,200,000 and that total RSJ funding proposed for next year was about $5,700,000. Staff said Self Enhancement, Inc. (SCI) would receive about $1,100,000 next year, down from roughly $1.48 million in the current year. The district also committed to provide a contract matrix and a breakdown of RSJ allocations to the board.
Different figures were presented from community witnesses: in public comment, one speaker described a larger-sounding reduction (testimony cited ~$2,200,000). The board and staff did not confirm that larger figure in the hearing; staff said they would supply detailed documentation.
What speakers asked for: community speakers asked the board to (1) restore RESJ contracts fully, (2) publish the RSJ contract matrix and line-item breakdown, and (3) consider the equity implications of reductions, noting many programs are delivered by community-based organizations.
Next steps: staff told the board they would share a RESJ spreadsheet and contract details, and the board scheduled a budget vote for 05/26/2026. The hearing closed with staff and board members agreeing to follow up on the contract-level details requested by the public.
