Proposed spending cuts and changes aimed at the highly specialized staff that teach and support Portland Public Schools' most severely disabled students have raised alarm among some special education families and educators. I'm inviting you.
District officials acknowledge that budget cuts and hiring changes are painful, but insist the goal is to have more special education staff in schools. And support will continue to be provided to students with very complex needs, such as those who communicate via devices or those who require supervision while eating to avoid choking.
“We have highly qualified professionals and medical personnel working in every building in our district, and we have invested in their training and development over the past several years,” said District Director Jay Buno. We are investing in this area and will continue to invest in it.'' Student Support Services told the school board on Tuesday. “If a student (individualized education plan) requests cutting of food or dietary monitoring as part of safe eating protocols, it will still be provided. Monitoring of assistive technology and communication systems is provided in the student's IEP. If you need it, it will be provided.”
Reductions and shifts focus on staff working across schools rather than being assigned to a single building, often providing training and support to other educators. They include specialists in assistive technology and dietary protocols, as well as behavior analysts who help develop support plans and advocate for students with the most complex needs. The district also plans to cut four of the eight physical education specialists who work directly with high-needs children and train the district's regular physical education teachers on how to best work with students with physical disabilities.
But when Buno spoke to the school board, many in the packed audience were visibly impressed that comprehensive training has been and will continue to be widely available, and that the transition will be seamless. , and raised a deafening objection.
“This is going to have an immeasurable and direct impact on our students and the ability of our classified staff to support them,” said Scott, an occupational therapist who works in the district's main building and will be removed from his position next year. One of them, Alyssa Pollard, disagreed. . “It will negatively impact the ability of classified staff to support students’ access to learning, communication, and literacy opportunities in schools.”
She said school-based staff were already dealing with an overflow of cases and could struggle to take on training and supervision.
Next year's budget proposal is subject to change and will not be finalized until the school board approves it in June. About half of the $30 million in cuts proposed so far will come from central government positions, including special education support teams. The rest of her $15 million cut comes from the school budget and varies by school.
District officials warned earlier this year that cuts would be needed to pay for high cost-of-living increases and other provisions after signing contracts with educators and school support staff. Union leaders countered that the cuts should be met by cutting administrative staff, cutting outside purchases and contracts and pouring more money into the district's rainy day fund.
But that reserve fund has already been tapped to prevent further cuts, which cannot fall below 5% of total spending, per instructions from the Board of Education.
In his presentation Tuesday, Buno appealed for support for a bill in the Oregon Legislature that would remove caps on additional funding the state allocates to special education students. Currently, that cap is set at his 11% of the student population, but most school districts in the state have a much higher number of students with special education needs. For example, approximately 16% of Portland Public Schools students receive special education services.
The bill in question, House Bill 4079, is currently being considered in the House Rules Committee, but there have been no scheduled work sessions or public hearings, a grim sign of a slow session in the legislative session. A staff member for the bill's lead sponsor, Rep. Courtney Neron (D-Wilsonville), acknowledged that the bill was unlikely to move forward.
— Julia Silverman covers education policy and schools for The Oregonian and OregonLive. She can be reached by email at jsilverman@oregonian.com or by phone at 503-221-4305. Follow her on X.com (@jrlsilverman).
