PORTLAND, Ore. — For the third year in a row, Evergreen Public Schools (EPS) is facing another round of budget cuts. The school district has proposed two plans — trimming down just under 20 million from the 2024-2025 school year budget. But each proposal has drawn concern from EPS parents and families.
“Every year it seems to be going further and further downhill which is really sad," said Angela Gates, a mother to two EPS students. “Our teachers and our staff are already spread so thin.”
The district's first proposal included cutting school security, elementary school librarians, fifth grade orchestra and band, and some paraeducators.
Parents and students pushed back at a school board meeting, asking the district not to cut student facing positions.
"We have admin positions that are incredibly top heavy that aren't servicing the students," said Corrie Ward who has five kids.
Two of her students are on IEPs, an individualized education program. Ward is particularly concerned about the loss of paraeducators and how that will impact her kids, as they often need specialized help.
Gates is in a similar position and expressed the same concern. Her youngest child, slated to attend kindergarten next year, has some developmental issues.
On Friday, the district released an updated budget reduction plan, saying they received additional state and grant funding. The new plan reinstates school security and fifth grade music programs.
“Am I grateful that security has been taken off the chopping block? Absolutely," EPS parent Katheryn Fertick said. "Should it have ever been on there? Absolutely not."
Fertick's security concerns stem from a shooting that happened on district property near Evergreen High School and Cascade Middle school in October of last year.
But many positions, including 22 elementary librarians and 8 paraeducators are still part of the planned cuts.
“Our librarians are the heart and soul of the school," Gates said. "They do so much more than just be a librarian.”
"I want them to leave the paras and the librarians alone, to understand that they are so critical and essential to helping the students," Ward echoed.
There will be some money cut from district administration. Superintendent John Boyd volunteered to take a $25,000 dollar salary reduction next year and the new proposal lists 27. 5 positions axed from the district office. This number is down from the 30 positions initially proposed earlier in the month.
"EPS is one of many school districts in our region and state that are navigating difficult budget challenges," Boyd said in a statement sent to families. "The Board of Directors and I would like to thank everyone for engaging with us over the course of these many months to help inform these difficult decisions."
But for Ward, Gates and Fertick, this roll back isn't enough.
“The words ring hollow," Fertick said. "The ‘we care, we hear you, this is important’ but then you see things played out, decisions played out that do not reflect that at all.”
The EPS school board plans to review these budget recommendations at a meeting on Tuesday.
Several other school districts in the greater Portland area are also facing budget deficits. Vancouver Public Schools are short $35 million dollars while Portland Public Schools and Salem-Keizer School District face budget cuts around $30 million each.