Pressure is building at Portland Public Schools following Superintendent Carole Smith’s announcement last week that the school district might eliminate wholesale programs like physical education or art, music and other electives at elementary, middle and K-8 schools.
The superintendent proposed those cuts to help fill the district’s $19 million budget hole for next year.
A public opinion poll conducted over the weekend finds overwhelming opposition to Portland Public Schools’ budget-cutting plans.
District officials have suggested eliminating physical education in the lower grades as one way to help absorb a $19 million state budget cut. But a new survey has found that 86 percent of Portlanders oppose balancing the budget by cutting PE.
The “Save Portland P.E. Coalition” took out a full-page color ad in The Oregonian newspaper Tuesday. The ad asks people to call the Portland School Superintendent and school board members, and come to a Tuesday night board meeting to let board members know what they think about P.E. being cut.
A crowd of about 200 turned out for Tuesday’s Portland School Board meeting, most to show support for keeping physical education programs in local elementary and middle schools.
Phys Ed and several other programs face elimination as Portland schools try to balance a $19 million shortfall.