PORTLAND, Ore. — Portland Public Schools will eliminate about 65 positions for the 2018-19 school year, which includes closing previously open positions and restructuring several departments at the district's central office.
KGW on Tuesday obtained a list of the eliminated positions. The list shows 31 people were laid off and 30 open positions were eliminated. Four more positions were eliminated through resignations, retirement and transfers.
PPS Superintendent Guadalupe Guerrero said during planning for the upcoming school year, the district was faced with the challenge of balancing a budget while dealing with the "inadequate resources available to PreK-12 public education in Oregon."
The district's decisions are aimed at closing the budget gap while minimizing the impact on schools and protecting "high-priority areas such as school staffing and the district's racial equity priorities," Guerrero said.
Multiple senior-level leadership positions will be eliminated at the district office. Some "school-facing leadership positions," such as chief of schools and area assistant superintendent roles, will be "elevated," Guerrero said, to help drive the district's school capacity-building efforts.
Guerrero will present the district's proposed budget and priorities to the Board of Educators at a meeting on Tuesday, April 24, which begins a six-week, public facing budget comment period.