Finance Committee advances Portland Public Schools FY27 recommended budget after public comment on special education cuts

The Portland Finance Committee voted unanimously to advance the Portland Public Schools (PPS) fiscal year 2027 recommended budget to the full City Council after a public hearing in which educators urged the committee to reconsider cuts to special-education support staff.

At the public hearing, Carrie Doughty, a Portland resident and president of the Portland Education Association, asked the committee to send the budget back to the school board for reconsideration so the district could restore six ed-tech positions that support students with disabilities. "These positions are essential student-facing positions," Doughty said, noting that many ed-tech duties are part of students' individualized education programs and that turnover and low pay have made staffing difficult.

Superintendent Dr. Scallon told the committee the district has made several revenue and staffing adjustments since the committee last reviewed the plan. He said PPS secured about $420,000 in supplemental revenue and the board added roughly $315,000, including foundation support that covers half of an FTE. He said the district adjusted some vacant positions and that those changes, combined with the revenue additions, put the proposed tax levy increase at 6.457%; he estimated a comparable local homeowner tax-rate impact of about 5.67% under an assumed $150,000,000 property-valuation change. Dr. Scallon also pointed to improvements in ed-tech retention after a contract pay increase, saying retention rose from 61% to about 74% year to year.

Committee members pressed for clarity on vacancies and the district's plan for required 1:1 special-education support. Dr. Scallon said the district will hire for required 1:1 IEP support during the fiscal year even if those positions are not in the base budget, and that the district can consider reallocations or the council could choose to increase the budget to fund additional ed-techs.

Chair April Fornier (At-large City Councilor and Finance Committee Chair) moved to pass the recommended PPS FY27 budget out of committee to the full council for first reading; Councilor Pelletier moved and Councilor Grant seconded. The committee voted unanimously to advance the item. Fornier said the budget will be scheduled for first reading at the full council on Monday and a second reading and public vote is set for May 14; the charter requires a public hearing at the first reading and the council will take additional public comment at the final vote.

The committee's packet includes the recommended budget book and materials that Dr. Scallon said are also available on the school board's website. The committee did not make line-item changes at this meeting; the chair reiterated timelines for members who may want to propose amendments ahead of publication schedules.

Next steps: the budget advances to the City Council for first reading, with opportunities for public comment at the council-level hearings prior to any final vote.