Budget would ring the bell a final time for 2 schools

Superintendent also suggests cutting school year to save money

By Todd Murphy

The Portland Tribune, Feb 26, 2002, Updated Oct 30, 2009

Two elementary schools would be closed permanently and the school year reduced next year by eight or nine days under a budget recommended Monday night by Jim Scherzinger, the Portland Public Schools interim superintendent.

Scherzinger’s recommendations to the school board are in response to a projected $36 million budget shortfall for next year, caused in part by expected cuts in the state education budget.

Scherzinger’s recommendations actually add up to $40 million in cuts, which represent more than 10 percent of the district’s general fund budget.

His proposals include: increasing class sizes across the district; cutting the jobs of 300 school custodians and other administrative staff; trimming more than 100 teaching positions; and eliminating cost-of-living increases for all district employees next year.

Cutting nine days from a school year would, in essence, trim about two weeks’ pay from all district employees.

Scherzinger’s proposals need to be approved by the school board. Many of the proposals relating to employee pay need to be approved by employees’ unions.

“As I’ve said all along, (the budget shortfall) is mission-threatening,” Scherzinger said Monday. “We have to make choices that aren’t good choices Ñ and I’m not sure people understand that.”

Here are details of some of the budget cuts that Scherzinger is recommending.

• Youngson and Wilcox elementary schools would be closed in the fall, saving the district about $450,000 next year. They are among Portland’s smallest; Southeast’s Youngson has 177 students, and Northeast’s Wilcox has 197.

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