PORTLAND, Ore. — The board of Evergreen Public Schools (EPS) in Vancouver voted Tuesday in a 4 to 1 decision for another round of budget cuts — the third year in a row to see cuts. The board cut next school year’s budget by $19 million, which will eliminate 151 district positions, including teachers, librarians and paraeducators.
The board’s vote comes after an outcry from parents at the school board meeting Tuesday urging them to consider alternatives to who and what should be cut, particularly avoiding any cuts to student-facing positions.
“A yes vote shows that you’re not here for the community,” said one father, echoing sentiments expressed by many parents who didn’t approve of what the district chose to cut. “A yes vote shows here that students here are not at the center of this discussion. A yes vote is easy and ultimately is a cop out.”
The revised budget cuts approved Tuesday will eliminate approximately 22 elementary school librarians, 52 classroom teachers districtwide, 40 district central office workers, eight middle school paraeducators, six middle school dean of students and around 22 other student-facing positions.
It’s a slight adjustment from a previous budget cut proposal that would have reduced school security and cut the fifth-grade music programs. Last week, the district said that it received some additional state and grant funding making it possible to retain them.
However, many parents and educators are unsatisfied with the district’s current trajectory.
“I have over 12 years left in this district,” said Camille, a mother of a kindergartener in the district. “Nearly everyday this school year, I’ve thought about the $20 million a year that has been cut and what’s it going to be like by the time my kid graduates.”
Two years ago, Evergreen cut almost 200 positions to close a $20 million budget gap, and last year the district shaved an additional $19 million from its budget. The cycle of budget cuts continues to leave many parents and educators frustrated.
“I encourage you to vote no, start over, if necessary,” said a mother and educator at the district. “It’s important enough to make sure that you get it right …i f you vote yes, you are either not listening or you are out of touch.”
The EPS board members said the decision to approve the cuts was not made lightly.
“We’re not making this decision in a box,” said EPS Board Member Ginny Gronwoldt. “There’s a lot more factions that are involved and a lot more areas. We took all of that into consideration. And then we have to decide which to give more weight and that’s the decision that we have made here tonight.”
Several other school districts in the greater Portland area are also facing budget deficits. Vancouver Public Schools is short $35 million dollars, while Portland Public Schools and Salem-Keizer School District face budget cuts of around $30 million each.
