Extreme financial pressure led to cut of custodians

TWO VIEWS •ÊPortland Public Schools’ decision last week to subcontract janitorial work has everyone up in arms, for different reasons

By Jim Scherzinger

The Portland Tribune, Jul 16, 2002, Updated Oct 30, 2009

The budget just approved for Portland Public Schools challenges my nature, questions my hope for our state and threatens the hopes of our youngest Oregonians. It cuts $36 million Ñ or about 10 percent of the budget for next year.

It includes cutting nine days from the school year, raises class ratios by two students, closes two schools, cuts administration, eliminates programs, freezes salaries, restructures health benefits for all employees and saves $4.5 million from custodial services.

None of these choices are good, and the impact on the quality of education and our employees is significant.

When faced with mission-threatening cuts, it is more important than ever that we make the tough choices needed to realign our resources to continue to focus on our educational mission. We need to protect kids and the quality of programs as much as possible.

This budget comes on top of a $14 million Ñ or 5 percent Ñ cut made this year and a 10-year history of school revenues not keeping up with inflation. We have done all we can do to forestall this day. We have cut administration by half, cut services and sold or leased property.

The decision to subcontract for custodial services is just one of the very tough choices we have had to make this year. It was proposed after a districtwide examination of departmental budgets and an extensive search for reductions that don’t have a direct impact on the classroom. Before the board vote on subcontracting, the district worked to the last hour to find alternatives to subcontracting that secured the needed savings and improved services.

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