Portland Public Schools are no stranger to budget cuts. It seems like almost every year schools are faced with the challenges of distributing an insufficient budget. Right now we are in a budget freeze, which is sending many teachers and students into a panic. But what does that budget freeze entail for the students and teachers at Cleveland?
There are a multitude of reasons for this budget freeze. Portland Public Schools enrollment is going down, therefore the state reduces the amount of money it gives to the district. On top of this, things such as supplies, salaries and retirement for employees have gotten more expensive.
District officials report Portland Public Schools is facing a $50 million budget hole for next school year. This is resulting in the current school year facing a “mid-year operating gap,” which was initially $22.5 million, but cost-cutting measures have reduced the gap to $10 million. District officials are considering many ways to help close this gap, like cutting job positions or even taking furlough days.
Social studies teacher Stephen Nims explains that the district is asking for four furlough days this school year. This would be four days that teachers don’t work and, in turn, aren’t paid. Although four days may not sound like a lot, teachers work a 193 day contract, so four days is a 2 percent loss in pay for that year.
“In times of rising grocery and gas prices, a 2 percent pay cut is felt,” said Nims. “It also impacts employees who are within three years of retirement as your pension is figured using your top three years of earnings. A seemingly small pay cut can lower your average pension.”
Portland Public Schools will have to cut 65 positions next year in order to stay in budget. Cleveland specifically will have to remove 3.6 full time positions. The exact individuals who are being cut have not been made public as of press time.
Principal JoAnn Wadkins made it clear that the budget cuts will not have an impact on the school’s renovation. “There is money set aside for the modernization, and that money is for that purpose only. Students will still be attending Marshall next year while Cleveland gets renovated,” she said.
However, that does not mean these cuts will leave Cleveland untouched. For Cleveland’s International Baccalaureate program to function, teachers are required to spend their time grading students’ work like internal assessments and extended essays. Teachers are usually given sub days to account for the hours they have to spend helping students with these lengthy projects. With these budget cuts, teachers will be unpaid for all the hours they have to spend grading and advising students’ internal assessments and extended essays.
“That’s a lot of work and to say, ‘well, we’re not going to pay you but you still need to do those,’ I don’t think that’s fair or realistic,” said Eric Levine, an English teacher at Cleveland. He continued by explaining that the state has been told for years that education needs to be more of a priority, yet it never seems to change anything.
Even without getting paid, the reality is the vast majority of teachers will still be working off the clock. Jamie Briscoe, Cleveland’s IB coordinator, explained that most people become teachers for the kids, to help create intelligent and well rounded individuals. She explains how this compassion is exploited when teachers have to do unpaid labor in order to properly help their students.
In 2003, the state had essentially run out of money for Portland Public Schools, resulting in the teachers having to work ten days for free, without ever receiving compensation. Nims reflects on this time as a testament to the frustration caused by budget shortfalls.
“We didn’t stay home, we went to school and taught for free,” he said. “I had to put $3,000 on my Visa to make ends meet and was paying 16 percent interest. It took a couple of years to get that situation fixed financially.”
The fight for sufficient funds for education is an uphill battle, and one that affects everyone involved. From 2003 to present day, many teachers feel like schools don’t receive enough funding. When feeling discouraged, it’s important to remember that there are things you can do to make a difference.
“Equitable education funding is not considered a big enough priority,” said Wadkins. “I strongly encourage everyone to speak out. Call your legislators and fight for your education.”
